The Faculty System
If you are planning to carry out maintenance, repairs, alterations or improvements to your church building, its contents or its churchyard you may need approval for the work. Some work can be approved by your Archdeacon or full faculty authorisation from the Chancellor. The information below will help you decide if work needs approval but if you require further clarification please contact Martin Howard, Buildings for Mission Secretary martin.howard@durham.anglican.org or call 07586090996
Using the Faculty Management System
The new Faculty Management System is part of the Building Management Portal and is how all Faculty and List B requests will be made. The following videos and guidance documents should provide you with all of the information that you need to enter and submit requests, but if you have any questions then please contact Martin on martin.howard@durham.anglican.org .
Intro
Before you start using the system you will need to register to use the new system. All users will need to do this as the old accounts will not work with the new system.
Registration and account management
How do I register for Building Management Portal User Guide
The new system will also be how we process all requests for Archdeacon’s Permission for works under List B. It will no longer be possible to email the Archdeacon directly for these requests.
List B
Making a List B Application Building Management Portal User Guide
The faculty process has not changed however the new system will look different and you will hopefully find it a little more user friendly than the previous system.
The following videos provide guidance on how to start a faculty application:
Add more churches to profile
Starting a Faculty Application
Form 1
Petition part 1
Statements
Formal Consultation
Faculty
Finally, the idea of the Building Management Portal is that it will be a central point for all information and data relating to church our church buildings and we encourage all parishes to record all of the works to their church buildings under List A.
List A
Making a List A Application Building Management Portal User Guide
DO WE NEED A FACULTY?
The information below will help you decide if work needs approval but if you require further clarification please contact Martin Howard, Buildings for Mission Secretary martin.howard@durham.anglican.org or call 07586090996
The Faculty Jurisdiction Rules are a single, comprehensive set of rules governing the faculty system nationwide and setting out those works which can be undertaken:
without the need for any consultation ("List A" matters),
with written approval from an Archdeacon ("List B" matters), and
only under a faculty issued by the Chancellor.
List A and List B matters are generally items of maintenance, minor repairs, and some works to trees and bells. However, certain specific conditions must still be complied with to ensure best practice and high quality, and permission given by List A, List B or Faculty does not remove the need to consider any additional planning requirements which may be appropriate in some circumstances (eg Tree Preservation Orders, planning permission). So, to decide which applies to the works you are planning to carry out at your church, follow this 3-step process:
Step 1: Look carefully at List A. If the works you propose match exactly with a List A item, then you do not need any formal consent to carry them out (but take note of any specified conditions). If they do not, then...
Step 2: Look carefully at List B. If the works you propose match exactly with a List B item, then you will need written approval from your Archdeacon to carry them out (subject to any conditions which are specified, or imposed by your Archdeacon). If they do not, then..
Step 3: Works which are outside the scope of List A or List B need a Faculty; see the Faculty Flowchart on the Resources page link below for an overview of the process.
The Chancellor may authorise urgent works on the authority of an Interim Faculty; please contact both the Registry and The Buildings for Mission Secretary if urgent work arises.
Use of the online faculty system is compulsory; paper submissions are no longer accepted. If you have not already done so, your PCC should nominate someone who can register as an Applicant to use the system and submit applications on their behalf. Click here to submit an application to the Online Faculty System.
News
FACULTY JURISDICTION (AMENDMENT) RULES 2022: as part of the Church of England's commitment to reach Net Zero Carbon by 2030, the faculty rules have been amended to help churches meet their carbon reduction targets. The new rules, which take effect on 1st July 2022, require churches to have due regard to the Church Buildings Council's advice on Net Zero Carbon for those proposals where it applies; that "net zero guidance" is set out here: FACULTY CHANGES (2022) AND KEY GUIDANCE The 'Practical Path to Net Zero Carbon for Churches' is included in that guidance and this must be given due regard for all proposals, as it provides the context to show that the proposal is part of a wider understanding by the parish of its route to net zero carbon. Most of the changes to Lists A and B will make it easier for churches to make adaptations such as insulating pipes, draft-proofing doors and windows, fitting new non fossil fuel boilers, electric pew heaters, electric car charging points and soft furnishings to help worshippers feel warm and comfortable, whilst the installation of like-for-like fossil fuel boilers and new oil tanks will now be subject to a full faculty application. [NOTE: churches are not prevented from having fossil fuel boilers, they simply need to be able to justify their installation in the light of the net zero guidance]. The new rules will also make it easier for churches to install wireless internet and broadband equipment. See below for the new Lists A and B.
Further Support
The guidance provided within the system (under the 'Help' tab) is comprehensive - the manuals contain clear instructions and screenshots, and the system is quite intuitive - but anyone experiencing difficulty should contact the DAC Secretary, Martin Howard, on 07586090996 (or email: martin.howard@durham.anglican.org ).
Please remember to include all work on the church building in your Church Log Book.
For all resources, please click here.