Dioceses, Pastoral and Mission Measure 2007

55 Functions of Council in relation to churches, etc. in use

(1) It shall be the duty of the Council—

(a) to advise the Archbishops' Council and the General Synod, when requested to do so, on matters relating to churches;

(b) to consider consultation by and requests for advice from judges and registrars of the ecclesiastical courts and from Diocesan Advisory Committees in relation to applications or possible applications for the grant of a faculty, any other matter referred to in section 6(1)(b) or (bb) of the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Measure 1963 (1963 No. 1) and any matter to which any provision in Part III of the Care of Churches and Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Measure 1991 (1991 No. 1) relates and, to the extent that the Council thinks appropriate, respond to such requests or consultation;

(c) to promote the care and conservation of churches and greater knowledge, understanding and enjoyment of and artistic activity relating to churches both within the Church of England and more widely among the general public or sections of the public on its own or in conjunction with other persons and bodies;

(d) to promote, in consultation with such other persons and organisations as it thinks fit, by means of guidance or otherwise, standards of good practice in relation to the use, care, conservation, repair, planning, design and development of churches; and

(e) to convene, annually, a meeting of the chairmen and secretaries of Diocesan Advisory Committees and, so far as practicable, to maintain regular contact with those committees.

(2) The Council shall have power to give information and advice, whether or not requested to do so—

(a) to any person or body having, within the Church of England, either nationally or within a diocese or part thereof or a parish or any other area, responsibility for or functions relating to the use, care, conservation, repair, planning, design and development of churches on such matters either generally or in relation to particular buildings;

(b) to any person or body other than one within the Church of England having responsibility for or functions relating to the matters referred to in paragraph (a) above in relation to particular buildings therein mentioned; and

(c) to any person or body having responsibility for or functions relating to the matters referred to in paragraph (a) above in relation to particular places used for Christian worship by Churches other than the Church of England.

(3) The Council shall have power to charge such fee as it thinks fit and to recover expenses when responding for a request for advice under subsection (2)(b) or (c) above.

(4) The Council shall also have power—

(a) to liaise, co-operate and exchange information with and hold conferences with or for government departments, local authorities and other bodies or persons, whether within or outside the British Isles and, where appropriate, advise them, in relation to—

(i) the use, care, conservation, repair, planning, design and development of churches and corresponding buildings used by Churches other than the Church of England,

(ii) the obtaining or granting of funds or permission for the carrying out of works in relation to such matters, and

(iii) the formulation of policy or of proposals for legislation in relation to them; and

(b) where requested to do so by any body which makes available funds for the care and conservation of churches, to allocate funds on behalf of that body or give advice in relation to such care and conservation.

(5) In this section and section 57 below “church” includes a part of a church and—

(a) any other place of worship according to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England, including any building to which a sharing agreement within the meaning of the Sharing of Church Buildings Act 1969 (c. 38) applies,

(b) any curtilage of such a church or place of worship and any churchyard or burial ground or part thereof annexed thereto,

(c) any other parochial burial ground, or part thereof, whether or not so annexed, and

(d) any contents of such a church or place of worship or any other articles appertaining thereto,

but does not include a cathedral.