Parish property is usually vested in the London Diocesan Fund as custodian trustee. Sometimes the trustee may be the Bishop of London Fund, but in both instances the consent of the Diocese is required for any letting or disposal, although not for casual hiring. In the London Diocese, the day to day responsibilities of custodian trusteeship have been delegated by the Diocesan Bishop's Council to the Diocesan Finance Committee.
The Finance Committee, in considering any proposal affecting parish property
would take into account the following considerations:
Is the proposal in the best interest of the parish?
Have any restrictions or requirement in any trust deed been taken into account?
(See below)
Does the proposed transaction comply with the 1993 Charities Act?
Should the letting be contracted out of the Security of Tenure provisions of
the Landlord and Tenant Act?
Not all parish properties have a deed of trust; some are simply held by the London Diocesan Fund 'for the benefit of the parish'. Other properties may have specific trusts attached to them restricting the use of the property and/or the use of any income or proceeds.
