AN unholy row over plans to upgrade a Grade II listed church to make prayer time more comfortable by installing a new heating system has been settled by a judge.

Geoffrey Tattersall QC, Chancellor of the Diocese of Carlisle, and a judge of the Church of England’s Consistory Court which has to approve matters relating changes to churches, has overridden objections from member of the Parochial Church Council for St George’s Church at Millom.

Barry Crawford and Ray Cole, the churchwardens, and Geoffrey Brunskill, the treasurer of the council had applied to the court for consent to go ahead with the improvements which also include scrapping some of the church pews.

Mr Cole had branded the heating system as “antiquated” and said that 20 years ago it had been recommended that it should be changed.

However, member, Jeg Gray, who was not present at a meeting at which the council gave the plan its backing, objected.

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He claimed, among other things, that plans to replace the existing gas boilers with modern gas boilers went against the policies of the Church of England and the Diocese of Carlisle to reduce their carbon footprint.

He also accused the church’s heating sub committee of acting unconstitutionally and alleged that rules about publicly displaying a notice about the application for permission to change the system had not been complied with.

But, giving the go-ahead for the plan to be carried out, Chancellor Tattersall said all options for heating the church had been looked into and a gas fired heating system had been considered best for both financial and practical reasons.

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He continued: “I do not accept that the Parochial Church Council heating group acted unconstitutionally or that the public notice did not display the relevant plans and document.

“I am satisfied that the petitioner’s application should succeed. I am satisfied that all realistic options for the heating of the church have been considered and that the best option is a gas fired heating system.

“Moreover, I am not persuaded by anything that Mr Gray has said.”

The church dates back to 1879 and was designed by eminent Victorian architects Paley and Austin. Its spire can be seen for miles around.

The Evening Mail revealed last week that it had had to temporarily close its doors due to the discovery of asbestos in the building.