The Church Buildings team, based at Church House Leeds, is here to help parishes (Clergy, Churchwardens and PCCs) care for their buildings in the best way and develop churches as centres of mission that serve God’s people, with due regard to their architecture, archaeology, art and history.
We also have a more formal legal function in supporting the DAC (Diocesan Advisory Committee) which offers professional advice to the Chancellor in respect of faculty applications. The Committee currently has fourteen full members, plus the five Archdeacon, supplemented by nineteen specialist advisers. The DAC makes recommendations but the Chancellor is ultimately who will grant or refuse faculty. See the DAC members and advisers page for more detail.
Anyone thinking about making any changes to a church building, churchyard or any structure within the boundaries of church land should involve the DAC. Almost all works to church buildings, their contents and churchyards will require permission from either the Archdeacon (List B permission) or the Chancellor (faculty permission), and the DAC will provide advice on all types of work. The DAC and its staff can support parishes at all stages of a project, from initial thoughts, through fundraising and making a faculty application, to completion. It also provides training events and guidance notes for various subjects relating to the care of church buildings and churchyards.