9 April 2026: Council’s Own Heritage Adviser Rejects Developer’s Case
We have a significant update to share with everyone who has signed and supported this campaign.
The Council’s independent Built Heritage advisers, Place Services, have now submitted their formal response to the developer’s retrospective Listed Building Consent application (RU.26/0173). Their conclusion is unambiguous: the retention of the uPVC windows cannot be supported.
What Place Services Found
Place Services confirmed that the original windows at Christ Church were metal-framed, containing diamond leaded lights and stained glass designed by artists of note. They were, in the experts’ own words, “important works of art in their own right, crafted with great skill and ingenuity with materials of a high quality.” Their replacement has, Place Services advise, “irrevocably harmed the significance of the listed building.”
The advice goes further. The developer has argued throughout this process that uPVC was the only viable solution - that there was no alternative. Place Services have now formally assessed that claim and found it unproven. In their words: “no evidence has been provided from window manufacturers… or from a structural engineer… to demonstrate that there is absolutely no viable alternative to uPVC.” References in the Heritage Statement to consultations with a structural engineer and various window companies are not supported with any written evidence.
Place Services also rejected the justification given for the uPVC dormer windows — that they were chosen to match the unauthorised uPVC windows already installed on the building. Matching one set of unauthorised, unsympathetic works to another is, Place Services confirm, not a sufficient reason to approve them.
Why This Matters
This campaign has always been about one fundamental principle: a Grade II listed Victorian church, one of only two listed buildings in the entire Longcross area, deserves to be treated with the care and respect the law requires. The developer chose to proceed with plastic window frames on a significant heritage asset without consent, and has now asked the Council to approve that decision retrospectively. The Council’s own independent advisers have said that is not acceptable.
Place Services join Historic England in objecting to this application. The planning officer’s report will now need to address the advice of these two heritage bodies.
What Happens Next
The application remains under consideration by Runnymede Borough Council. We will update again if there are any further developments or when the Officer’s Report has been published for consideration at Planning Committee.
Thank you — every signature on this petition has helped demonstrate that our built heritage needs safeguarding and preservation. Please continue to share the petition so we can maintain that momentum at this critical stage.
Friends of Christ Church Longcross
fochristchurchlongcross@gmail.com