I am writing this in March on the morning after we were granted planning permission by Dacorum Borough Council to build an extension onto our church. This momentous news is the culmination of a long process and much hard work by our project team and our architect Francesca Weal. We have also had great support from the Parish Council, all three District Councillors and members of the community. I am particularly grateful to four families with graves under or very close to the proposed scheme who have given their support. The extension will give us modern and flexible facilities for church and community groups, alongside proper disabled toilets, a small kitchen and office.

We still have a number of hurdles to jump before we can start building work. First, we have to obtain formal approval from the church authorities (the Diocese of St Albans). Secondly we intend to sell our existing Hall in Vicarage Lane in order to raise much needed funds. Thirdly we are committed to carrying out a detailed archaeological survey of the ground affected so that we can minimise disturbance to existing graves. Then we need to raise a lot more money – somewhere in the region of £750,000 over and above what we get for the Hall. We will keep you posted with regular updates and progress reports on our website and via displays in church.