Views of the pews

SIR – Our church has permanent, heavy, uncomfortable Victorian pews (Letters, December 22) which, it has been agreed, may be replaced by more flexible and comfortable seating.

This is so that our beautiful building may be used by its congregation and the citizens of Salisbury in creative ways, rather than as a museum.

We will not “tear out” our pews but carefully remove them, so that much of the fine timber may be used again. Martin Marriott

Salisbury, Wiltshire

SIR – The Church of Scotland is also exempt from planning laws as far as the interior of kirks is concerned.

Here in Dunscore, the A-listed interior of our 1832 parish kirk has been largely destroyed by a combination of incomers, the Heritage Lottery Fund, and a totally supine Historic Environment Scotland.

The scheme of alteration was driven through by the relevant Church of Scotland committee against the wishes of the majority of the parishioners. The same fate has befallen the interior of many other fine kirks in Scotland. It is high time this exemption, which leaves kirk interiors utterly unprotected, was removed.

His Honour William Crawford Dunscore, Dumfriesshire