The Incumbent and Churchwardens must keep a full record of all lands, goods and other possessions of the Church.
Every three years, the Archdeacon, or the Area Dean acting on the Archdeacon's behalf, shall inspect and sign the Terrier and Inventory.
A record of all alterations, additions, repairs and removals, however minor, must be kept in the Log Book. It must indicate where all specifications and plans are kept, if they are not kept with the Log Book.
The Archdeacon, or Area Dean acting on the Archdeacon's behalf, must survey the church, the chancel and churchyard, every three years. The Archdeacon shall give directions for any repairs or work needed on the fabric, ornaments or furniture.
The person appointed must be a qualified Architect or Building Surveyor, and is nominated by the Incumbent and PCC. His/her qualifications and experience for this work are assessed by the Diocesan Advisory Committee, and if approved, he/she is appointed by the Incumbent and PCC. Consult the Archdeacon before taking any action.
Any Architect or Surveyor appointed by the Parish for responsibilities other than the Quinquennial Inspection is a matter for the Incumbent and PCC, though the works themselves are likely to require a faculty.
The Archdeacon instructs the appointed Inspector to inspect each church every five years. The Inspector sends copies of the Quinquennial Report to the Incumbent, the PCC Secretary, the Archdeacon and the Secretary of the DAC. The PCC should deal with repairs, and particularly the urgent repairs, as soon as possible. Delay will usually result in the parish paying more money than is necessary for the repair work to be done.
A Faculty is needed to carry out any work specified by the Inspector in the Quinquennial Report unless the works are within the guidelines issued by the Diocesan Chancellor of works not requiring a faculty. When immediate repair work is needed on the church or the hall, the Archdeacon should be consulted, and advice taken about appropriate steps. The Archdeacon will advise whether or not a Faculty is required.
A standard fee for the Quinquennial Inspection of the Church and the Report is paid by the Diocese. The PCC is responsible for the fees for any additional inspection, and if the Inspector is involved in drawing up specifications, obtaining estimates, supervising repairs, and examining the completed work.
The PCC is encouraged to ask the Inspector to survey the church hall, and to arrange for a test to be carried out on the electrical system. It is advisable to have this done every five years, but this has to be paid for by the PCC.
Particulars of items to be inspected which are included in the standard fee, or for which the PCC are responsible, and all other matters concerning Quinquennial Inspections, are covered in detail in the Scheme for the Inspection of Churches 2002 issued by the London Diocesan Fund (see pp 88-108).
