Charity defends actions which left Walpole church unusable for 17 years

The Grade I listed St Andrew's Church in Walpole was decommissioned in 2005

A conservation group has hit back after locals complained about its actions which left a historic church without a floor for nearly two decades.

The Grade I listed St Andrew's Church in Walpole, Norfolk has been unusable after work by the Churches Conservation Trust in 2007.

The 19th Century flooring was removed to investigate damp which caused "significant damage" to stone columns.

The trust said additional repairs were now planned.

The emergency work had been carried out without planning permission and some villagers have complained a long-term plan should have been put in place before it was done, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Last month, the charity, which protects 357 church buildings in England, was granted permission by West Norfolk Council to replace the floor and was told to start the work within one year.

Damp issues led to flooring being removed to stop erosion around a stone column

Gabriella Misuriello, head of conservation, at the charity said: "As a national conservation charity, we take great care in the upkeep and repair of our churches.

"The floor at St Andrew's was taken up to undertake investigative conservation work which aimed to determine the causes of the columns' erosion.

"Additional repairs are planned for the roof, external render, and for additional investigative work to monitor the levels of salt in the stonework.

"We are working with the architect and conservation specialists to have this work completed in due course."

Built in the 15th Century on top of an older Roman and Medieval site, the Churches Conservation Trust describe St Andrew's as "worn but handsome".

It is in the shadow of the more impressive St Peter, which is known as the 'cathedral of the Fens'.

The church was made redundant by 2005 and it had fallen into a state of disrepair, with its stone chancel and columns becoming heavily eroded by damp.

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