Faculty Application Process

Faculty is required for any work affecting consecrated land or buildings, including repairs to consecrated buildings and land, fixtures, fittings and furnishings – you can check what works can be permitted under List B works without the need for a formal faculty. 

It can be very helpful to discuss a proposed faculty application with the Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC) Secretary before the application is submitted. There are two reasons for this:

1. The applicants can make sure that all of the information which the DAC is likely to require is submitted with the application, and this will help to minimise any delays in dealing with the proposals. This information should include the material required by Section 4 of the amended Faculty Jurisdiction Rules 2015 .
2. The DAC will advise on which statutory consultees should be consulted in connection with the application. These consultations now need to be completed before the DAC can issue its formal ‘Notification of Advice’.

As well as consulting the DAC Secretary, the PCC is recommended to consult an architect at an early stage if any works are proposed to the fabric of the church. This may be the architect appointed to undertake the quinquennial inspection of the church or it may be any other architect – the PCC is not limited to using only its quinqennial inspection architect for new projects. However, there may be some merit in taking advice from the architect who carried out the most recent quinquennial inspection of the building, as they should be familiar with the building and any structural or other particular issues which may be relevant to the project. Taking advice early on in the project can save much trouble and expense later on.

The PCC’s Architect will usually be able to offer advice about works proposed to the church building, but general advice, and some useful articles on specific subjects, can be found on the Building Conservation website. This deals with the conservation of historic buildings generally, and not just churches, but has some helpful information on church-specific topics.

Another useful website with information specifically about church buildings and their care and maintenance is the ChurchCare site. this is maintained by the Church of England, through the Church’s Cathedrals and Church Buildings Division.

All faculty applications should initially be submitted to the DAC via the Online Faculty System (OFS) with a completed Standard Information Form (Form 1A). Applications should be accompanied by the necessary supporting information which is explained on the OFS, where this is available.  If in doubt about what information may be needed, consult first with the DAC Secretary.  The information required is likely to include the following, as well as the information listed at the amended Section 4 of the FJR 2015:

• The PCC resolution and architect’s or specialist’s advice in writing.
• For Building Repairs or Additions  the architect’s specification and drawings. These should be professionally prepared, to scale, and give a clear indication of the extent and likely effect of the works proposed
• For Heating, Plumbing and/or Electrical works the architect’s or contractor’s specification and drawings and/or annotated photographs which show the effect of the work. The route of any new pipes or cabling and the manner in which these will be affixed should be clearly shown.
• If the work involves alterations or repairs to specific parts of the fabric or furnishings, such as bells, woodwork, windows or glazing, textiles and so on, guidance should be sought from the DAC Secretary on whether a specialist report should be submitted with the application.
• For Organs  details of the history and specification of the existing organ, of any replacement or work to be done.
• For Memorials  a scale drawing, precise wording and a sample of lettering, together with a history of the person/s to be remembered in the memorial. (If the proposal is for an internal memorial the application may be in the form of an informal enquiry in the first instance).
• For churchyard alterations a list and plan of any known graves and memorials likely to be affected.
• For disposal of articles by sale  good quality photographs of the item(s), details of their provenance and a professional valuation.
• For any major proposal or proposals affecting buildings or items of particular significance, the comments of relevant consultees. These will include the Amenity Societies, and possibly the local Planning Authority. It is important to note that that this consultation must take place before the DAC considers the proposals,otherwise the DAC will simply be unable to issue its ‘Notification of Advice’
• For Heritage Lottery Fund grant aided work a copy of the contract and the relevant architect’s report.
• The church insurers’ approval in writing.

Click on the following for further information:

• Faculty Jurisdiction Rules 2015 (“FJR 2015”)
• Faculty Jurisdiction (Amendment) Rules 2019

DAC Meeting dates are listed on the diocesan website, and may be subject to change but are generally held monthly.

Once the DAC has considered a faculty application, a Notification of the DAC’s Advice will be issued to the applicants.  This will detail any recommendations from the DAC or any additional information required.  Once ready the application can be submitted to the Diocesan Registrar by the applicants.  The DAC’s Advice will state one of the following:

Applicants should note that this Notification of Advice does not constitute formal approval to proceed with any works. It is intended to provide advice to the Chancellor or the relevant Archdeacon when they in turn consider the formal faculty petition.

The applicants are required to display public notices of the proposed Petition inside and outside the parish church, and when the application is submitted to the Registry the public notice certificate should be completed  confirming that these notices have been displayed for the required period (see Form 4A below).  This requirement allows third parties the opportunity to comment on proposals.

Notice of some applications may also be given on the diocesan website, and the timing of this notification will need to be synchronised with that of the public notices displayed at the church.  The DAC will advise regarding this.

Any comments arising from the public notification of the faculty application are submitted to the Diocesan Registrar, who will ask for the applicant’s comments and then submit them with the application to the Chancellor for a decision to be made.

Once the application has been given formal approval by the Chancellor the faculty can then be issued, subject to the Chancellor’s views, and the works can be undertaken.

When the works have been completed, a certificate to confirm completion is to be completed on the Online Faculty System which will close the application on the system (see Form 8 below).

Amenity Societies

In addition to Historic England, there are a number of other bodies with expertise and interest in church buildings and their heritage.

• The Ancient Monuments Society (pre-1715)
• The Council for British Archaeology
• The Georgian Group (1700-1840)
• The Society For the Protection of Ancient Buildings
• The Victorian Society (1837-1914); and
• The Twentieth Century Society (1914 onwards)

Where works are proposed to a listed church, the appropriate National Amenity Society will need to be consulted, and their response should be added to the faculty application on the Online Faculty System. Note that several Societies may have an interest, e.g. where a mediaeval church contains Victorian fittings.

The Faculty Jurisdiction Rules require the relevant Amenity Society or Societies to be consulted before the DAC issues its Notification of Advice. Parishes are therefore encouraged to consult with Amenity Societies at an early stage, either before or during the consultation with the DAC. This enables the Societies’ views to be taken into account as the proposals are being developed, and also means that delay is avoided before the DAC can issue its Notification of Advice.

Useful Forms

The following commonly used forms may be useful to parishes in the faculty process

Form-3A-Petition-Parish 2019
Form 4A Public Notice 2019
Form 8 – Certificate of Practical Completion

Note that these forms are blank templates, and of course the relevant details will need to be completed in each case and are available on the OFS. These forms apply to ordinary faculty applications; different forms may be required for applications involving works to trees, or for private applications, e.g. for reservation of a grave space. If in doubt, please consult the Registrar’s office for guidance.