Tenders Soon For New Church House

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30368, 18 February 1964, Page 15

Tenders Soon For New Church House

The Church of England will call tenders soon for the construction of a new Church House of four floors containing about 12,000 sq. ft. above the Canterbury Horticultural Society’s building at the corner of Gloucester street and Cambridge terrace. Interested builders have been invited to submit their names as specifications are almost completed. Construction will be in reinforced concrete and blockwork.

Announcing this last evening, the Bishop of Christchurch (the Rt. Rev. A. K. Warren) said he was delighted at the early prospect of bringing all offices of the diocese under one roof in its own building. As the church would require all the space itself, there would be none to be let. Finance was being arranged. Air Space Deal

The purchase of this air space last year was the first such transaction for a permanent building in this country. Very complicated legal procedures were involved.

The Bishop last June signed an agreement with the president of the Horticultural Society (Mr J. Watling) by which the church bought the air space for £7900. This deal covered space above the hall extending from 20 feet above the ground to 60 feet above, plus three perches of land for access. The front portion of the Horticultural Society’s £45,000 building had been strengthened to take additional storeys. The Church of England originally planned to consolidate its offices on The Limes site which it bought 18 years ago, but it surrendered this for the town hall.

Many Offices

Using the air space, it is planned to have new offices for the Bishop, the diocesan registrar and their staffs, officers of the diocese, and the Church Property Trustees, who will have modern ac-

counting machinery in a sound-proof room. Diocesan organisations such as the Social Service Council, the Board of Education, and the Mothers’ Union, will be included. There will be board rooms and a cafeteria on the top floor. A special feature will be fireproof archives to house diocesan records of immense historical value to the church and the province. They cover the foundation and development of both.

The Church of England expects to have use of the Horticultural Society’s large hall for synods and the Jellicoe hall nearby if needed. The building will be handy to the Cathedral, the business area, and to parking areas and two new parking buildings.

The architects are Messrs Helmore and Cotterill. of Christchurch.