The Vision
To extend the life and use of St. Peter’s in the 21st century the congregation has a vision to restore this part of the town’s heritage and unlock its potential for the benefit of the whole community.
We would ideally like to see a Church centre providing a visible presence and a strong identity in the heart of the town, open seven days a week as the worship and administrative centre of the parish, and with spaces that can be used for a variety of purposes (exhibitions, concerts, research, meetings, tourism) – both for the church and community. This is a project to help preserve part of the town’s heritage and create a community building fit for Congleton’s future generations.
Initially this has involved major restoration and repairs: most notably the replacement of the roof – new slates, timbers, repaired stonework and brickwork in 2014. Previous work to provide a kitchen, toilet, disabled access and replace windows showed both what might be possible and the large scale of any project.
The approach has been to repair or restore the heritage in such a way as to preserve as much as possible. Durability, sustainability and care for the environment have been criteria by which work has been judged
The vision for the future will involve sensitively re-ordering parts of the interior to improve provision, access and inclusiveness. Advice from heritage and statutory bodies has indicated that some of the parish needs could be met by also building an extension.
St Peters has been the town`s civic church for more than four hundred years and the vision of the Parochial Church Council is for it to continue to be a part of Christian service, ministry and mission in the heart of the town for years to come.