Permissions

Most church buildings, church contents, and churchyards are protected by Faculty Jurisdiction. Under this legislation, almost any work such as repairs, modifications, extensions, disposals, or installations require prior approval. This is granted by the Chancellor or in some cases by the appropriate archdeacon.

It is unlawful to commence work without the proper permissions, especially if your building is listed and/or in a conservation area. If you are not sure what permission you may need, please contact the DAC staff.

In addition to the information below, the Church Buildings Council offers the following guidance: Talk to your DAC about permissions | The Church of England

Chancellor's General Directions

The Chancellor’s General Directions outlines the rules and regulations for buildings and churchyards under faculty jurisdiction.

Click here to download the Chancellor’s General Directions. Click here to download the Churchyard Regulations which are appended to the Directions.

List A

Very minor works, usually on unlisted buildings which are not in a conservation area, can sometimes fall within the scope of List A, provided specific conditions are met. These works do not require prior formal approval but you should notify the DAC by making an application via the Online Faculty System (OFS).

Be aware that there is no manual review of these applications and you will receive an automatic notification after your submission. The DAC staff reviews List A applications they have received and may contact you for more information or request that you re-apply for a different type of permission such as a List B or Minor Works Direction.

If you are unsure whether your proposals are covered by the scope of List A, please check with the DAC staff before commencing any work. All work should be recorded in your church log book.

Click here to download the List A specifications.

List B

Minor works of a more substantial nature than List A, or works which would otherwise fall under List A but are on a building which is listed or in a conservation area can sometimes fall within the scope of List B, provided specific conditions are met. All List B applications must be made via the OFS and need to be authorised by your Archdeacon, in consultation with the DAC staff, before you can start any work.

To help the Archdeacon in their determination you will need to upload some supporting documentation. This includes, but is not limited to:

PCC minutes showing a resolution agreeing to the proposed works
Photographs or other plans marked with the potentially affected area
A detailed description of the proposed works
An itemised quote from your chosen contractor or specification of works from your architect
Any statutory information included in the List B item specifications

Upon receiving your application, the DAC staff will consult with the Archdeacon and may get in touch with you to request more information or additional supporting documents.

We realise that some works can be urgent and will always try to prioritise works which address an immediate danger to person or property, especially if you get in touch with the DAC staff first. Otherwise, we will always try to acknowledge your application within 7 days.

Click here to download the List B specifications

Minor Works Directions

In some cases, works may fall outside of the scope of List A and List B conditions or are not included in the specifications, yet are still of such a minor nature that they may be undertaken without a faculty. In these circumstances, your Archdeacon or a member of the DAC staff might suggest that you to apply via the Registry.

Temporary Minor Reordering (TMRO)

Since April 2020, Archdeacons can give permission for furnishings and movable objects within your building to be rearranged for up to a maximum of 24 months. These changes must be reversible, but allow you to have an opportunity to experiment with potential changes to how you use the space within your building without applying for a permanent alteration. If you would like to make the re-ordering permanent then you will need to apply for a faculty.

Applications for a TMRO should be made using the OFS. Please contact your Archdeacon for initial advice in advance of making a formal application.

Interim / Emergency Faculties

In some cases, where there is a genuine emergency or preliminary exploratory work might be necessary to establish the basis for a full faculty application, it can be possible for the Chancellor to grant an interim or emergency faculty. Interim and emergency faculties are administered by the Registry. They usually only permit the minimum level of intervention necessary to prevent a situation from deteriorating.

Interim or emergency faculties are usually only granted where the work is unavoidable but there is insufficient time available for the formal faculty processes to be followed. For instance, where there is a risk of damage to the building fabric or health and safety concerns for users of the building. Examples of circumstances where an interim or emergency faculty might be applicable include but are not limited to: storm damage, lightning strikes, subsidence, arson, theft of roofing materials, pipe leaks.

Interim or emergency faculties are not intended to bypass or expedite the formal faculty process and should usually be followed by lodging a petition for a confirmatory faculty at the next available opportunity.

To apply for an interim or emergency faculty you should contact the DAC staff or your Archdeacon as soon as possible. If the DAC staff are not available, you should go directly to the Registry.

Faculties

Any substantial works which do not fall within the scope of List A or B and are not covered by a Minor Works Direction must require a full faculty application. This also includes confirming your temporary re-ordering or interim faculty by seeking a confirmatory faculty.

The faculty system allows Church of England buildings to operate within ‘Faculty Jurisdiction’ which means they are exempt from some secular planning measures, such as Listed Building Consent. However, in some cases secular planning permission might still be required alongside faculty permission. The DAC staff and your inspecting architect (see Architects & Quinquenials) will advise you if this is the case.

Faculties are a legal process and as such strict rules and procedures must be complied with during the application process (see DAC and Faculties).

Faculty applications are reviewed by the DAC, which issues advice, but the final decision on whether or not a faculty will be granted ultimately lies with the Chancellor (see Chancellor and Consistory Court).

Once a faculty application has been submitted via the Online Faculty System, an initial review will be carried out by one of the DAC staff. At this point you may be informed of a requirement to consult with external heritage bodies and/or the local authority, when works affect the character of a listed church building, or will have an impact on archaeology or significant furnishings and features. This may include the Church Buildings Council, Historic England or National Amenity Societies such as the Georgian Group or the Victorian Society.

When developing a faculty application, PCCs are encouraged to consider the DAC sustainability policy. In some cases there will be an additional requirement to demonstrate “due regard” to net zero guidance in your proposal, where applicable. “Net zero guidance” is a specific collection of guidance documents issued by the Church Buildings Council, including a range of topics. The DAC will consider this guidance when reviewing faculty application relevant to environmental matters, as well as its own guidance. The DAC also encourages PCCs engage initially with the Heating Toolkit (see Heating) when making heating applications.

The following guidance is available for each step in the process:

Delegated Advice

In some circumstances, where an application is deemed to be straightforward or uncontentious, it is possible for the DAC Secretary to consider faculties in consultation with your Archdeacon and relevant DAC members or advisers. This is a quicker process as applicants will not need to wait for the next committee meeting before a Notification of Advice can be issued.

The choice to consider an application under delegation is the discretion of the DAC Secretary. Committee consultation will offer a wider range of views on your application and might raise new potential points for consideration.

For more information on delegation, please see the following guidance.