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<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=484184717-14032007>In
reply to the comment by Giles Blundell - in fact it's the other way round.
Ecclesiastical exemption means that the Church of England, the Roman
Catholic Church and a few other denominations which are considered to have
adequate procedures in place for dealing with alterations to places of worship
don't need to apply for Listed Building Consent. This means that the local
planning authority doesn't have to get involved in fonts, bells and other
things that require a Faculty. But churches still have to apply
for planning permission for external works, including alterations,
extensions and access ramps.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=484184717-14032007></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=484184717-14032007>Once a
church is no longer in use as such it's subject to both kinds of control, if as
in this case it's a Listed Building. What view the local planning
authority - in this case, Stoke-on-Trent City Council - takes of the
possible removal of the bells is up to them. The bells are
certainly a fixture, but they are very unlikely to appear in the listing
description (I haven't yet checked English Heritage's web site) because they
aren't really relevant to the reasons for building being listed.
But if they were put in as a war memorial, no doubt local people will be
interested.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=484184717-14032007></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=484184717-14032007>Peter
Rivet</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
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