Description: Adaptation of the Grade I listed St Peter and St Paul’s church in Yalding, Kent to better meet the needs of the local community.

Issue: During the 1990s, the parish recognised the need for fit-for-purpose facilities that would better serve the community's requirements than were currently available. The church wanted to create meeting rooms and associated facilities within the church building itself - a challenging and complex proposal for a Grade I listed church building.

Strategy: Lengthy and extensive negotiations between all partners took place over several years, during a period when new regulations in building control and accessibility were introduced, added further complexities. English Heritage was instrumental in brokering agreement between the different partners on a design that would meet everyone's concerns and needs. From the heritage perspective, the design was particularly successful because it can be completely reversed without detriment to the historic fabric of the building.

Outcome: By 2003, the new rooms in the church were completed and the parish now has three multi-purpose meeting rooms over two floors at the west end of the north aisle of the church, alongside kitchen facilities and an accessible WC. A variety of community groups now use the rooms regularly, including Sunday School and children's groups, and the church is a regular venue for large community events.