by Tim Sigsworth, Telegraph
Approving gas heating system would commit Hampshire church to fossil fuels beyond 2030 target, diocese says
The Church of England has ordered a parish to rip out new gas boilers because they are not “sustainable”.
Christ Church Chineham, in Basingstoke, Hants, spent £18,200 last year replacing two failing gas boilers, with the new ones expected to last for at least two decades.
But the parish will now be forced to remove the system and pay for an eco-friendly replacement after a church court ruled it had not “adequately explored more sustainable options” before installing them.
Christ Church Chineham is the latest church to fall victim to the Church of England’s target of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2030.
New rules require churches to obtain a faculty – ecclesiastical planning permission – and prove there is no viable green alternative before new oil or gas boilers can be installed.
The church chose to install gas boilers after commissioning a report from a mechanical engineer, who was a member of its congregation, which found heat pumps would require “extensive and intrusive works” and be much more expensive than gas.