An important part of the responsibilities of PCCs includes maintaining church buildings, their contents and churchyards.
A vital part of mission and ministry is to keep them in good condition and adapt them so that they remain fit for purpose.
Church buildings, even if listed, benefit from a unique status. Despite this, there is a body of ecclesiastical law as well as secular legislation that must be complied with.
There are links below to diocesan, national church and other useful resources to guide church wardens through the process.
In the first instance, please do contact the DAC Secretary, Christine Elders, to discuss your plans.
The DAC
The Diocesan Advisory Committee for the Care of Churches and Churchyards (DAC membership) has a key role in helping parishes manage the work of maintenance and change, and is required to review and comment on all proposed works. It is a statutory body appointed by the Bishop’s Council, so is a key part of this diocese’s governance structure and works closely with the Diocesan Registry.
Meetings will be held either on Teams or twice a year at the Diocesan offices.
| Meeting Dates | Deadline for receipt of applications |
|---|---|
| 1 Oct 2026 | 18 Sep 2026 |
| 3 Dec 2026 | 19 Nov 2026 |
| 4 Feb 2027 | 21 Jan 2027 |
| 8 Apr 2027 | 25 Mar 2027 |
| 3 Jun 2027 | 20 May 2027 |
| 5 Aug 2027 | 22 Jul 2027 |
| 7 Oct 2027 | 23 Sep 2027 |
| 2 Dec 2027 | 18 Nov 2027 |
Diocesan guidance for changing your buildings or churchyards can be found in the following downloads. Please read them carefully or get in touch with the DAC before planning your project.
Maintaining buildings
Making changes to church buildings and churchyards - Online Faculty Service registration and user guide
- Statement of needs template
- Statement of significance template
- Guildford Lists A & B 2022
- Guildford Additional Matters Orders
Parishes are required by law to have the fabric of their church buildings and churchyards inspected by a suitably qualified architect or surveyor every five years (called the ‘quinquennial inspection’). There are diocesan mechanisms to ensure that this takes place and that any recommendations for remedial work are actioned.
Maintaining churchyards
Useful information from national websites
Each parish should keep an up-to-date list of its assets and significant occurrences within its buildings. The following templates for both the Terrier & Inventory (an inventory of land, containing all the articles/items related to the church) and Log Book (a comprehensive record of all alterations, additions, removals or repairs to the fabric, fixtures and fittings of the church and churchyard, during five quinquennial periods) will help with keeping your records updated. Please make sure that historic versions of these documents are lodged with the local archive.
• The Church Log Book• Church Property Register (Terrier and Inventory)
The documents are produced by the Council for the Care of Churches and are also available to purchase as printed versions at Church House Publishing if you wish.
- The Church of England’s National Churchcare, including a basic maintenance regime and advice on building security.
- Online Faculty System User Manual
- ChurchCare Guidance on Statements of Significance and Needs
- Contested Heritage - Guidance on considering your options
- Depositing Items with the Cathedral Treasury
- Advice on filming in churches
- Arson Prevention Advice
Notices of current faculty petitions
On the advice from the Diocesan Registry and in line with legislation, notices for certain faculty petitions are required to be displayed on the diocesan website. Below are the notices we are required to publish. Click on the name of the parish to access the notice.
Chertsey St Peter with All Saints Faculty Works Notice
Walton-on-Thames St Mary's Faculty Works Notice
Christ Church Woking Faculty Works Notice