Faculty jurisdiction & the DAC

Changes to church buildings and churchyards are governed by Faculty Jurisdiction and permission is required from the Chancellor of the Diocese or your Archdeacon for most works of repair, adaptation and improvements to churches.

Faculty Jurisdiction is legal exemption from requiring Listed Building Consent from the local authority but many works will still require Planning Permission.

The Chancellor and Archdeacons are advised by a diocesan body called the Diocesan Advisory Committee.  The DAC is a formal group of volunteer specialists who give their time feely to assist parishes in the care of churches.  This support is offered both through considering applications for permission but also by aiding churches in developing proposals and in the general management of churches.

In exercising their role, the DAC must have due regard to church as a local centre of mission and ministry in addition to considering the special character or significance of the church building.

If you would like to request a meeting or a site visit from one of the Church Buildings Team staff (who support the DAC) or a DAC specialist adviser, please make contact via churches@cofe-worcester.org.uk or 01905 732809.

How do I apply for permissions?

All applications for permission under the Faculty Jurisdiction Rules are undertaken via the Online Faculty System. You need to be a registered user for your parish to make an application.

You need to determine what level of permission you require for your works. Generally, works that are of repair or that do not affect the character or significance of the church building will not require a full faculty and will feature on either List A (no permission required) or List B (permission required from the Archdeacon) of the rules.

Download List A & B brochure
A flowchart detailing the complete process for applying for a faculty can be found here.

Consultation

For works that affect the character or significance of the church building (usually only for listed buildings), consultation with external bodies who hold a statutory interest in the building will be required. The Church Buildings Team will guide you through this and undertake consultations through the online portal. Consultees include:

Historic England
The National Amenity Societies (based around era of interest)
The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) – pre 1700
The Georgian Group – 1700-1837
The Victorian Society – 1837-1914
The Twentieth Century Society – Post-1914
The Council for British Archaeology
The Ancient Monuments Society
The Local Planning Authority
The Church Buildings Council
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission & The War Memorials Trust

What other permissions are required?

Often, further secular permissions will be required in addition to a Faculty. Depending on the type of work you may require one or more of the following:
- Building Regulations approval
- Planning Permission
- Scheduled Monument Consent
- Bat (or other wildlife) Licence
- Tree Preservation Orders or Tree works in a Conservation Area
The Church Buildings Team will advise on whether further permission will be required.

DAC Members & Specialisms

DAC Members

Ian Stainburn, Chair
Ian Cramp, Vice-chair; Lighting & Electrical Adviser
Ven. Nikki Groarke, Archdeacon of Dudley (ex-officio)
Ven. Robert Jones, Archdeacon of Worcester (ex-officio)
Rev. Julie James, Diocesan Synod – House of Clergy
John Dentith, Diocesan Synod – House of Laity
Nick Molyneux, Historic England
Jeffrey Howarth, Combined Amenity Societies
Victoria Bryant, Combined Local Authorities; Archaeology Adviser
Peter Belham, Sound Systems Adviser
Tim Bridges
Jane Chamberlain, Conservation Architect
Nick Joyce, Conservation Architect
Robert Kilgour, Conservation Architect
Susan Logan, Heating Adviser
Anita Mansell
Peter Perry
Victoria Poole
Mark Regan, Bells Adviser
Matthew Vaughan, Conservation Architect
Sue Wright

Advisers to the DAC

Jonathan Ansell, Turret Clocks Adviser
Andrew Bessant, AV Systems Adviser
Graham Davies, Organs Adviser
Mark Evans, Architect Adviser
John Gilbert, Structural Engineer Adviser
Rev. Sue Irwin, Churchyard Memorials Adviser
Caroline Mayfield, Textiles Adviser
Richard Peplow, Church Plate Adviser

Staff

Mark Carter, Secretary to the Committee; Church Buildings Officer
Kate Andrew, Assistant Church Buildings Officer
Pat Evemy, Assistant Church Buildings Officer

DAC Meeting dates

Due to Covid-19 many altered working arrangements are in place. The committee are not meeting physically and decisions are being taken in online meetings. For guidance as to when to submit your application and when it will be considered by the DAC, please contact the Church Buildings Team on churches@cofe-worcester.org.uk or 01905 732809.


Page last updated: 12th June 2020 9:24 AM