Care of Churches and Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Measure 1991 (No. 1)

5Duties of churchwardens as to fabric etc. of churches

(1)In every parish it shall be the duty of the churchwardens—

(a)at least once in every year, to inspect or cause an inspection to be made of the fabric of the church and all articles appertaining to the church;

(b)in every year, to deliver to the parochial church council and on behalf of that council to the annual parochial church meeting a report (referred to below as “the annual fabric report”) on the fabric of the church and all articles appertaining to the church, having regard to the inspection or inspections carried out under paragraph (a) above, including an account of all actions taken or proposed during the previous year for their protection and maintenance and, in particular, for the implementation of any recommendation contained in a report under a scheme made in pursuance of section 1 of the [1955 No. 1.] Inspection of Churches Measure 1955.

(2)In carrying out their duty under subsection (1) above the churchwardens shall act in consultation with the minister.

(3)The annual fabric report shall be delivered to the parochial church council at its meeting next before the annual parochial church meeting and, with such amendments as that council may make, to the ensuing annual parochial church meeting.

(4)The churchwardens shall, as soon as practicable after the beginning of each year, produce to the parochial church council the terrier, the inventory and the log-book relating to events occurring in the previous year and such other records as they consider likely to assist the council in discharging its functions in relation to the fabric of the church and articles appertaining to the church.

(5)Any terrier, inventory or log-book produced to the parochial church council in accordance with subsection (4) above shall be accompanied by a statement, signed by the churchwardens, to the effect that the contents thereof are accurate.

(6)This section applies in relation to each church in a parish containing more than one church.

(7)In this section “year” means calendar year.