Archdiocese of Birmingham
Historic Churches
Committee
and Committee for Art and
Architecture
THE CARE OF CHURCHES
A guide
for clergy and parishes
Further copies available
from
Executive Secretary, Historic Churches Committee
Cathedral House, St Chad’s Queensway, Birmingham B4 6EX
OUR
CHURCHES
Church buildings exist for the worship of God and to serve
the mission of the Church. They are sacred buildings which
need and deserve to be cared for and cherished. Canon Law
requires that clergy must ‘carefully supervise the
administration of goods’ (Canon 1276) and take ‘special
care that damage will not be suffered by the Church through
the non-observance of the civil law’ (Canon 1284 §2, 3o).
Bishops are charged with the responsibility of exercising
vigilance over the remodelling of places of worship and to
protect works of art and sacred furnishings. In the
Archdiocese of Birmingham (in common with all the dioceses
of England and Wales) this vigilance is exercised by the
Historic Churches Committee (for listed buildings) and the
Committee for Art and Architecture (for non-listed
buildings).
The Committee is made up both of priests and a variety of
lay experts including architects, artists, art historians
and representatives of English Heritage and the national
amenity societies. The members are appointed by the
Archbishop for a three year term. The office is located at
Cathedral House in Birmingham.
LISTED
BUILDINGS
When buildings are listed they are placed on statutory
lists of buildings of ‘special architectural or historic
interest’ compiled by the Secretary of State for Culture,
Media and Sport under the Planning (Listed Buildings and
Conservation Areas) Act 1990, on advice from English
Heritage. Listing draws attention to the fact that the
church is of special architectural and/or historic
interest. Listed buildings are classified in three grades:
• Grade I Buildings of exceptional and usually national
interest.
• Grade II* Particularly important buildings of more than
special interest.
• Grade II
Buildings of special interest, which warrant every effort
being made to preserve them.
It is a matter
of pride that so many Catholic churches are recognised to
be of such quality and importance. Anyone can propose a
building for listing and the Historic Churches Committee
regularly considers if a particular church should be
recommended.
Listing has the force of law and it is a criminal offence
to alter, extend or demolish a listed building without
consent. Listing is not intended to fossilise a building.
Listing ensures that the architectural and historic
interest of the building is carefully considered before any
alterations, either outside or inside, are agreed. It is
possible to obtain consent for the alteration or extension
of a listed building and this is normally granted by the
local planning authority. In the case of places of worship
in use, however, the Ecclesiastical Exemption applies. The
Ecclesiastical Exemption (Listed Buildings and Conservation
Areas) Order 1994 enables the Church to exercise its role
as the steward of its own built inheritance. It means that
listed building consent for works in Catholic churches is
given by the Historic Churches Committee, through a faculty
issued in the name of the Archbishop, instead of by the
planning authority. The HCC takes into account the nature
and purpose of a church as a building for the celebration
of the liturgy and its pastoral and missionary roles when
considering any proposals for repairs, alterations or
re-ordering.
It is essential to realise that whilst listed churches are
exempt from local authority listed building control they
are subject to the same planning and building regulations
as any other building. Planning permission from the local
authority will normally be required for any external
alterations to a church building.
WHAT A FACULTY IS
FOR
No relevant works may be undertaken except with the
authority of a faculty granted on behalf of the
Ordinary. Relevant
works means any
works including partial demolition, alteration, repair or
extension which would affect the character of the relevant
structure as a building of special architectural or
historic interest. This includes any object or structure
within the building and any unlisted object or structure
fixed to the exterior or in the grounds of the building
(except presbyteries). The moving or removal of paintings,
statues and church furnishings requires consent. Any
additions to the building (e.g. statues, banners, notice
boards, organs) which are intended to remain in place for
longer than six months need approval, as all such items
affect the character of the building. Necessary alterations
to a listed building required by law to meet health and
safety or disability requirements also require consent.
‘Like for like’ works of repair and maintenance do not
generally require consent. The definition of ‘like for
like’ is extremely narrow. Examples of repairs that are not
like for like could include
• Replacement of
metal rainwater goods with plastic, or replacing drainpipe
hoppers with others of a different size.
• Replacement of central heating pipes with those of
smaller dimensions, or radiators with those of similar size
but a different pattern.
• Redecoration, since even if colours are carefully
matched, the specification of the paint is unlikely to be
the same as the previous material.
HOW TO OBTAIN A
FACULTY
The fact that a church is listed does not preclude changes,
but applicants need to be able to justify their proposals.
It is also advisable to employ the services of an architect
to prepare applications. This ensures that applications are
prepared to a professional standard. The architect should
supervise the work to see that it is undertaken properly.
Any proposals should be discussed with the Parish Council
and Finance Committee and with the Diocesan Treasurer.
Contact should be made at the very beginning of the process
with the Executive Secretary of the Historic Churches
Committee who will provide the necessary application form
and guidance notes and also advise on the process, which
includes publishing a notice of the proposals in the church
and in the local paper inviting comments. Members of the
HCC are happy to meet with those concerned and give
informal advice. This can be of great help to everyone and
prevent delays which can be frustrating and costly.
The completed application form, with an accompanying
statement of justification giving a detailed explanation of
the proposals, and five copies of the relevant drawings,
plans and photographs should be returned to the HCC
secretary at least five
weeks before the date
of the next meeting of the Committee. The HCC meets on the
third Thursday of January, March, May, July, September and
November. Dates are published each year in the Diocesan
Directory.
The HCC secretary sends copies of the papers to English
Heritage, the Local Authority Conservation Officer and the
appropriate national amenity society (Georgian Group,
Victorian Society or Twentieth Century Society). Those
consulted have 28 days to consider the proposals and make
comments and the HCC is required to take these into account
when it considers the application.
Before reaching a decision the HCC may decide to undertake
a site visit and may wish to modify the proposals or impose
conditions. Applicants are welcome to attend the HCC
meeting to present their proposals as well as answer
queries. The decision of the HCC will be notified to the
applicant, consulted organisations and anyone who has made
comments on the proposals. Any of these parties have 28
days in which to appeal against the committee’s decision.
If no notifications of appeal have been received after 28
days the secretary will issue a faculty on behalf of the
Archbishop. The whole process of obtaining a faculty will
usually take about three months.
NON-LISTED CHURCHES
By a decree of the Archbishop issued in 2001 all ‘relevant
works’ in churches which are not listed are to be referred
to the Committee for Art and Architecture and a faculty
obtained for their implementation. The committee adopts the
same standards and follows similar procedures to those of
the HCC. There is no requirement for consultation with
external bodies but this may be recommended in appropriate
cases. Again it is emphasised that contact should be made
with the secretary at the outset. The Committee for Art and
Architecture meets on the same day as the HCC and has the
same membership.
Applications for the Committee for Art and Architecture
should be sent to the secretary at least
two
weeks before the date
of the relevant meeting. Members of the committee may make
a site visit and parish representatives are welcome to
present their proposals to the Committee.
QUINQUENNIAL
REPORTS
The regular maintenance of its buildings is a priority for
every parish. An annual programme should be in place,
especially for the clearance of gutters and down pipes and
basic repair works. This prevents an accumulation of
defects. Each church should be inspected every five years
by an architect who produces a report on the fabric of the
church, identifying work that needs to be done and its
relative priority. This enables the parish to keep its
church in good order and plan its maintenance programme and
budget. A copy of the report should be sent to the
secretary of the Historic Churches Committee or Committee
for Art and Architecture and the committee will require a
copy of the latest report before considering any faculty
application. If English Heritage is approached for grant
aid, a quinquennial report will have to be submitted with
the application.
Architects for listed churches should have appropriate
experience in the repair and adaptation of historic
buildings and an accreditation in building conservation. A
list of architects is available on application to the
secretary.
DOCUMENTS
Sacrosanctum Concilium: The Constitution on the Sacred
Liturgy
(CTS, 2004)
General Instruction on the Roman Missal
(CTS, 2005)
Directory on the Ecclesiastical Exemption from Listed
Building Control
(Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, 2001)
(available from HCC secretary at Cathedral House)
Consecrated for Worship: A Directory of Church Building
(Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales) (CTS,
2006)
A Glimpse of Heaven : Catholic Churches of England and
Wales
(English Heritage, 2006)
ADDRESS
The Executive Secretary,
Historic Churches Committee and Committee for Art and
Architecture
Cathedral House,
St Chad’s Queensway,
Birmingham
B4 6EX
Tel. 0121-230 6241
E-mail: hcc@rc-birmingham.org
The Historic Churches
Committee and the Committee for Art and Architecture
are part of the Archdiocese of Birmingham: Registered
Charity No. 234216
© Birmingham Roman Catholic Diocesan Trustees Registered
MMVI