Closed Church Building

A church may be closed formally for regular public worship under the provisions of Part 6 of the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011 . The closure will normally be the result of dwindling congregations, but occasionally flows from a requirement for significant repairs to the building which may be disproportionate to its heritage value or the use being made of it.

Closure is effected by a Scheme made by the Church Commissioners.

The consequences of formal closure of the church building to regular public worship are;

• The church building ceases to belong to the incumbent and is normally vested in the Church Commissioners for sale or in the Diocesan Board of Finance (or London Diocesan Fund in London). If vested in the Commissioners for sale, or in the DBF/LDF for retention, the Scheme operates to vest the church, and should be registered at the Land Registry. No fee is payable on registration. The Scheme may make provision for the permitted future uses to which the building may be put, and if different uses are proposed a revised scheme may need to be sought.
• If the building is sold, the proceeds will normally belong as to one third to the Church Commissioners (for the Churches Conservation Trust) and as to the remaining two thirds for the Diocesan Board of Finance, in accordance with the statutory provisions in s64 of the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011.
• The legal effects of consecration cease to apply to the building.
• The building cannot be used for regular church services or for occasional offices such as baptisms, marriages and funerals, though a limited number of services may be possible by agreement with the Bishop.
• The faculty jurisdiction ceases to apply to the building. If the building is a listed building this means that it will then be under the listed buildings jurisdiction, which may give the local authority power to require that repairs be undertaken.
• The surrounding churchyard continues to be the property of the incumbent, continues to be consecrated ground, and continues to be subject to the faculty jurisdiction. The closure Scheme normally reserves a right of way over the churchyard to and from the former church building. Interments can continue to take place in the churchyard, unless it has been closed to burials under different legislation, s1 of the Burial Act 1853 .