Chapel receives permission for £1m extension

A historic Grade I listed chapel is to get a £1m extension after being granted planning permission to add a cafe, kitchen and an information point.

Becket's Chapel in Wymondham, Norfolk, has been in the ownership of the town since the mid-16th century and was used as a library from the late 1940s until 2009.

The aim of the new extension is to encourage more visitors to the chapel and to promote the town as a heritage destination.

Judith Harwood, chair of Historic Norfolk, said: "This is a ground-breaking project that, for the first time in Norfolk, aims to demonstrate how historic buildings can be adapted to meet the challenges of climate change."

In 2018, the building was completely redundant and placed on the Heritage at Risk Register and purchased by Historic Norfolk in September 2022.

The building has now received listed building consent and planning permission by South Norfolk Council's planning committee for the extension, which is the second phase of building works at the site.

Ms Harwood said: "Working closely with Historic England, we have already taken steps in the first phase of the project to retrofit the chapel, raising the roof to incorporate insulation, removing the concrete flooring, and installing underfloor insulation and heating."

In 2022, the concrete flooring of the chapel was removed and replaced by underfloor heating. It was insulated using foam glass gravel, which was considered a "carbon-friendly" option.

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The latest work would also see a gas boiler replaced by air-source heat pumps and solar panels installed on the south-facing roof.

She said: "These measures will ensure that Becket's Chapel is both environmentally friendly and economically sustainable for future generations of Wymondham residents and visitors alike."

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