St Paul, Old Ford
Below is a simplified outline of the process you might expect to undertake when building an extension to your church.
1. Have your idea.
2. Talk to the Diocesan Property Department which may be able to offer advice and assistance in the development of proposals. It is essential to do this at an early stage.
3. Consult with all those who may be involved e.g.
3. If the extension affects the external appearance of the church building you must talk to the Local Planning Authority about Planning Permission. This should be done at an early stage as well.
4. Discuss requirements and brief an architect. (Assistance in selecting architects is available from the Care of Churches Team.)
5. Have sketch plans drawn up for review by the DAC and LPA.
6. The Care of Churches Team will inform you if you need to consult with English Heritage, the Victorian Society, the Georgian Group, The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings or the Ancient Monuments Society (see Links).
7. It is important to check whether the proposed extension will affect archaeology which is in or above the ground. An Archaeological Desktop Assessment may be necessary.
8. Draw up the Statement of Need and the Statement of Significance.
9. Respond to the comments of the DAC and LPA and any other parties when drawing up the full scheme.
10. Once the full plans have been submitted to the DAC, the DAC Architects Group will review them and they will be discussed in a Committee Meeting. The DAC may then ask further questions or request a visit the site if this has not already taken place. Alternatively, if it is content, the Committee may issue a Form 1 Certificate.
11. The Certificate is sent to the PCC along with the Petition for Faculty forms. The forms include a public notice which will need to be displayed outside the church for 28 days so that the local population can comment on the proposals.
12. Once the 28 days have passed, the PCC sends the notice with the details of the scheme, the Petition for Faculty and the Certificate issued by the DAC to the Chancellor via the Registry.
13. The Chancellor will then decide whether or not to issue a Faculty.
In some circumstances other documents such as a structural engineer’s report might be required. Further advice can be given by the DAC office.
