Green light for plans to replace parts of historic Chesterfield church roof with aluminium mesh after series of thefts
While the proposal is set to ‘cause a level of harm’ to a historic church, it is hoped the material change will protect the building from future thefts.
Chesterfield Borough Council has approved plans to replace the lead stolen from Holy Trinity Church roof with less valuable materials.
The proposal is set to see the lead roof coverings and flashings replaced with stainless steel roofing and Ubiflex – an aluminium mesh reinforced with bitumen.
This comes after a series of lead thefts last year which caused significant damage to the iconic Grade II listed Holy Trinity Church located on Newbold Road within the Abercrombie Street Conservation Area in Chesterfield.
While the planning documents submitted to the council recognise that the change of material would ‘cause a level of harm’ to the historic Holy Trinity Church, the proposed changes are deemed beneficial as they reduce risks of theft, antisocial behaviour and potential water damage.
An officer report issued on Monday, September 7 alongside the decision notice, states: "The introduction of the Ubiflex membrane is a lower grade of material compared with the former lead flashings however it is understood the reduction in the quality of the flashings is due to the high instances of lead theft at this site.
"The stainless steel roof to the Organ Chamber is also a reduction in the quality of the roofing material.
"However, stainless steel is a comparative product which will still retain the batten rolls and abutment details of the original roof.
"On this basis, whilst the material change does cause a level of harm to the listed building, this is considered to be balanced against the public benefit of reducing the long term risk of theft, antisocial behaviour and the resulting water ingress to the building.”
Holy Trinity Church was designed Thomas Johnson in the plain early Gothic style and constructed in 1838.
The historic building, where the pioneering engineer and ‘Father of the Railways’ George Stephenson is buried was targeted by criminals on a number of occasions between September and November 2025.
During one of the incidents, the lead flashing over the church’s kitchen area was removed which caused significant water leakage into the kitchen and toilets during wet weather.
Thieves returned in October and November, stripping every remaining section of lead from the roof before insurance for the first incident had even been processed.
In mid November, the lead on the organ roof was targeted by thieves.
A spokesperson for Holy Trinity said that replacing the lead was ‘simply not viable’ due to the repetitive nature of the crimes and high costs of repairs.