Fabric Report to APCM 2013
The church fabric remained in reasonable condition throughout 2012. There were no significant works undertaken, and only minor repairs to the vestry roof have been undertaken.
The church plate remains in reasonably good condition. There have been no new additions to the inventory during 2012.
The oil storage tank for the oil fired heating system was found to be leaking in February 2012. The matter was reported to our insurers and the leak was fixed by our heating engineers. Our insurers appointed a decontamination company to remove the soil which had been contaminated by the oil leak. This work was completed in July, with the concrete base on which the tank sits being re-cast. The cost of this work was covered by our insurance policy, except for an excess of £100; the cost of the spilt oil was also reimbursed by our insurers.
The condition of the hall remains a concern. The repair to the cap stones which fell from the gable end in 2011 was completed in January 2012. The other cap stones have been checked and found to be secure. The pointing work recommended in the quinquennial report 2009 has still not been completed due to lack of funding. There is also some exterior decoration to facia boards etc. which requires attention, but has not been undertaken for the same reason. In May 2012 the apex of the hall roof was colonised by a swarm of honey bees. These were able to enter the building through gaps in the mortar between the bricks – which gives some idea of the condition of the pointing. The bee colony caused a nuisance for users of the hall, as they repeatedly came into the building causing a sting hazard. The colony was destroyed by a pest controller in August 2012.
The quinqennial electrical inspection of the hall wiring was carried out in 2012. A couple of minor issues were reported, which have been fixed.
