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Church Buildings Finding a Pathway to a Use

Learn about the process of closing and selling church buildings, requirements for burials on disposed land, and legal issues related to church properties. Discover the challenges of maintaining and sharing church spaces, as well as the significance of their historical and architectural value.

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Church Buildings Finding a Pathway to a Use

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  1. Church Buildings Finding a Pathway to a Use Harvey Howlett - Casework Support Manager Closed Churches Division

  2. Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011 • Only means to close a church building – to declare • “closed for regular public worship” • Only means to dispose of or sell consecrated land • Requirements relating to burials on disposed land • administered by the Commissioners • Effected by a legal instrument called a “Scheme”

  3. For Sale Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011 - Closed Churches One Stop Pastoral Church Buildings Scheme Closure & Use • Pastoral Schemefor closure Pastoral (Church Buildings Disposal) Scheme for use of building Two Stage Option

  4. Shipmeadow St Bartholomew

  5. Kneesall St Bartholomew

  6. Issues to Look Out For

  7. The Building and its significance • History and context • Land/Townscape value • Features • Contents • Art • Memorials • Architectural value

  8. Condition • Survey • State of Repair • Maintenance • Liability – Repair Cost

  9. Location, Location, Location (Where is it & how do you get to it?) • Physical Barriers? • Site Levels?

  10. Legal Issues • Covenants • Access Controls • Title • Service lines/ power supply

  11. So Who Owns a Church ? Church: usually the Vicar (Incumbent) but PCC responsible for maintenance Churchyard also the Vicar (Incumbent) but PCC responsible except if closed when Local Authority can be required to take over the care

  12. So Who Owns a Church ? Church hall usually owned by DBF in trust for the PCC. but if it has been built on the churchyard or attached to the church could be owned by the Vicar

  13. Sharing space can be a problem • Bats • Burials • Access • Maintenance • Planning • Pastoral

  14. The Bishop of Norwich writes that Church Buildings: ... are also a burden and a worry too. That’s especially the case where a tiny number of elderly people feel they are the last ones to care for their church and there’s no one coming on to replace them. A feeling of failure accompanies their tiredness. This makes the living Church less joinable.

  15. It isn’t always feasible by any means to make these buildings available for community use since there isn’t always much of a community to use them. If there is, a village hall has often been built in the previous generation and in a good many cases is being supported and sustained by the very same people as the church. Bishop of Norwich 2013

  16. Dishforth Christ Church

  17. CC Division Staff Working in the Regions A Collaborative Partnership • To offer Dioceses access to skills that are difficult to resource. • To be able to give time to projects if it is needed. • To work with the grain of the state system for the Church’s own needs. • To be more accessible and more effective • To keep easy access to the Division’s expertise in the legislation intricacies and technicalities

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