Faculties

Faculties and Matters not requiring a Faculty

Advice and guidance on how to apply for either a

• Matters not requiring a Faculty with the authorisation of the Archdeacon

• DAC Notification of Advice and a Faculty from the Chancellor

for works to: –

1. A church and/or the churchyard (including paths, walls and memorials)

2. Paths, walls, memorials and trees in a churchyard (whether closed for burials or not)

3. Paths, walls, trees and memorials in consecrated sections of a local authority cemeteries 

For all churches, listed or unlisted, a Faculty (permission) is normally required for all repairs, alterations, removals or additions to churches, their contents and the churchyards and land belong to them unless Section 3 and Schedule 1 of the Faculty Jurisdiction Rules 2015 (amended in 2019 & 2023) says otherwise.

If there is any doubt as to whether either a Faculty or Matter not requiring a Faculty authorisation is needed, please contact the DAC Secretary before any work is either commissioned or started.

Urgent Repairs

If you need to make urgent repairs, because there has been an accident or damage to the church building, please contact the DAC Secretary in the first instance so that the Chancellor can be asked to grant an Interim Faculty (Emergency Permission). A confirmatory application for a Faculty through the Online Faculty System (OFS) will be required after the emergency has been dealt with.

Non-Urgent Works

Section 3 and Schedule 1 of the Faculty Jurisdiction Rules 2015 (effective on 1 January 2016) as amended by the Faculty Jurisdiction (Amendment) Rules 2019 set out in three lists: –

• List A – those works (subject to certain conditions) that may be undertaken without either the Archdeacon’s permission or Faculty authorisation – PCCs are strongly encouraged to log these on the OFS even though no permission is formally required

• List B – those works (subject to certain conditions) that may be undertaken without a Faculty but with the Archdeacon’s authorisation

• List C – those works not included or specifically excluded from Lists A and B for which a Notification of Advice from the DAC and Faculty from the Chancellor will be required

The application process through the Online Faculty System (OFS) will guide you as to which sort of application you need to make.

Before applying, you should read the documents below: –

1. Statement of Significance and Need – Guidance, by the Church Buildings Council (CBC), on writing them

2. Faculty Process – it explains how the System is operated in the Diocese of Leicester – this may be different from other Dioceses

3. Matters not requiring a Faculty – this sets out what does and does not need permission / authorisation

4. DAC Meeting and Agenda Closing Dates

When you are ready to apply to the DAC go to the Online Applications.

Downloads: 

• Lists A and B & Additional Orders from the Chancellor

• Trees in Churchyards - Statutory Guidance from the CBC

• Faculty Process - A DAC Guidance Note on how the process operates

• Information required - What information should be submitted

• Specification  - What should be in a Specification 

• DAC meeting and closing dates

• FAQs

• Useful addresses 

• Options appraisals - An example that the DAC found helpful

• Statements of Significance and Need - Guidance from the CBC on how to write them

• Faculty Jurisdiction Rules 2015

• Faculty Jurisdiction (Amendment) Rules 2019