As we move into early Summer and hopefully into a warmer and drier spell of weather our Contractors, T& C Williams Ltd., have been working hard on our behalf to make progress.

The early months of the project have been characterised by opening up and discovery of the parts of the building normally hidden from view. As many owners of an old property will be familiar with, that process of discovery has uncovered more issues with the substructure than were foreseen and expected. With this likelihood in mind, our budget for the works included a cost contingency for the unexpected. We are fortunate that we have a strong team of consultants led by John Cunnington, our architect, as well as a local experienced contractor to assist us in finding solutions and putting them in place. To date we have encountered completely rotten beams supporting the existing floor in the nave, two large openings in the floor of the Nave near the Chancel, a very wide and tall opening in the wall between the Nave and the former organ chamber and unsuitable foundations for the new floors in the Chancel and Entrance Hall. We have also undertaken to reconstruct the former choir vestry wall during the building project as it became clear that the longterm water ingress issues were due to porous construction of the existing internal and external walls. A recent survey of the belltower ceiling has regrettably uncovered rot, woodworm and historic water ingress.

All these things have required individual consideration and suitable design revision. As an example, the solution for opening between the Nave and the former organ chamber is now in its third iteration. However, progress is definitely being made: we have a new concrete floor slab in the Chancel, new beams to support the floor in the Nave are in place, asbestos has been completely removed; temporary works have been installed in the former organ chamber; external works have been carried out to form the foundation for the new entrance and, as I write this, we have an agreed construction detail for the choir vestry wall.

Current work items in progress are first fix of electrics, completion of the reconstruction of the choir vestry wall; installation of a new gas supply box on the Vicarage Lane elevation; finalisation of the scope of the proposed Audio Visual (AV) system. There are a number of work items that remain subject to the approval of the Diocesan Advisory Committee; lighting, underfloor heating system, Chairs and the final form of the opening between the Nave and the organ chamber. One by one, and in the order required to maintain progress, we are closing these items out with the DAC.

Because of the extent of the unforeseen issues with the building substructure, we have lost schedule time in developing revised designs and agreeing their costs. Compared to our initial contract we estimate that, at the end of May, we are between 6 and 9 weeks behind the agreed contract programme. Some 4 weeks of this delay was incurred in additional asbestos surveys and the subsequent removal of some particularly hazardous asbestos.

It would be ambitious at this point to make cast iron predictions of end date for the construction and commissioning of the reworked building. This will become clearer as building work progresses through June, July and August and will be subject to further communication in Autumn 24.

Costs are under control and considered assessments of estimated final cost made each month are carefully scrutinised and agreed with RLB, our Cost consultants. Despite the generous giving of the church family and grant bodies and the ongoing fundraising activities it remains likely that a portion of the overall construction and fit out costs will need to be financed by a loan from a lender specialising in the financing of ecclesiastical building developments.