Action plan

Building faith in our future makes proposals to support and enhance the contribution which church buildings and cathedrals make to the life of this country and its communities.  This is not a task for the Church alone; nor for the State alone.  We are confident that, with good will and partnership on all sides, we can move forward to ensure that these buildings benefit present and future generations.

We welcome the positive moves and discussions already in train. We cannot impose actions on others.  But we seek your help, commitment and action now.

We therefore invite:

• Government Departments to discuss with us their response to our key recommendations.
• Regional Development Agencies and local authorities to discuss them with church bodies and faith groups in their area.
• Our many partners - English Heritage, the Heritage Lottery Fund, national amenity societies, the Countryside Agency, and many others  - to continue working with us.

Within the Church, we encourage the House of Bishops, Dioceses, Deaneries and parishes to consider the proposals for good practice set out here. 

For our own part, subject to resources:

The Church Heritage Forum will:

• Act as a standing group to oversee progress on these initiatives and recommendations and continue liaison with Government Departments.
• Work with Dioceses and interested partners, including EH and HLF, to assess further research needs and how they may be met aiming to identify needs by mid 2005
• Continue to explore with other partners options for harnessing the enthusiasm of the public for church buildings and asses their feasibility by end 2005
• Work with others to prepare by end 2005 a leaflet explaining church organisation and funding.
• Support the Ecclesiastical Judges’ Association in operation of an appropriate list of minor works which can be carried out without specific faculty.
• Support a greater partnership between the work of the Churches Conservation Trust and churches in use, particularly in relation to education and tourism.

The Churches Conservation Trust will:

• Continue to increase use of its churches and maximise the involvement of the local community.

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The Cathedral and Church Buildings Division will:

• Develop the Churchcare website further to provide by end 2005 an updated site with more comprehensive advice on building matters, funding and contacts including links to the main Church of England and other websites, to be further reviewed  at end 2006.
• Explore by mid 2005 scope for central focal arrangements to deal with church building tourism nationally and ecumenically, in consultation with the Church Tourism Association and the Pilgrim Association 
• Initiate discussions with major grant givers to identify by end 2005 scope for streamlining processes.
• Discuss with Regional Training Partnerships the scope for training for clergy in buildings matters after ordination.

The Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England will:

• Run two regional seminars per year on the operation of the Care of Cathedrals Measure.
• Update by end 2005, subject to Care of Cathedrals (Amendment) Measure coming into force its written guidance on operation of the Measure, and make it available on the website
• Facilitate setting up by end 2005 at least one pilot management agreement for cathedral precincts to explore scope for more holistic controls.

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The Church Buildings Council will:

• Explore scope for at least two similar pilots for churches by end 2005
• Prepare by early 2006 guidance on welcoming visitors to church buildings
• Commission and publish by mid 2007 guidance for parishes on commissioning new works of art
• Organise 4 further courses for DAC Secretaries on conservation issues by end 2007
• Consult DACs and others to develop by Spring 2006 model toolkits for churchwardens and others involved with church buildings
• Organise specialist conferences: CATCH conference in 2005 on new stained glass and annually on conservation issues.
• Include a workshop on good practice at the September 2005 Conference for DACs
• Collaborate with the Follow-up Group on the Review of the Pastoral and Diocese Measure to prepare guidance on

o preparation of church building audits, whether addressing extended uses or pastoral reorganisation, by late 2005

o operation of the Pastoral (Amendment) Measure (facilitating leases under faculty) ready for coming into force of Measure, assuming Synodical and Parliamentary approval by end 2005

• Collaborate with the Legal Office and statutory consultees to

o Maximise efficient day to day operation of the existing faculty jurisdiction system

o update and reissue by mid 2006 the 1999 leaflet Making Changes to a Listed Church.

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© The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England, 2004