Glossary
Amenity Society: The six National Amenity Societies have to be consulted over any faculty applications as well as secular planning applications.
Archdeacon: Office held by a senior clergyman with an administrative responsibility over an archdeaconry. His duties include care for church property.
The Church Buildings Council (CBC): Formerly the Council for the Care of Churches (CCC). The Council is a statutory body of the Church of England, supporting dioceses and parishes in the use, care and development of parish churches, their contents and churchyards. The Council also advises on proposals for closing or closed churches.
The Cathedral Fabric Commission for England (CFCE): The Commission is the central body for advising upon and overseeing matters relating to the fabric, contents and setting of the cathedrals of the Church of England.
Chancellor: The chancellor is the judge of the diocesan consistory court which decides whether to grant a faculty or not.
Churchwardens: the two chief lay officers of a parish elected annually by parishioners with the consent of the incumbent. Their duties include looking after the church property.
DAC: see Diocesan Advisory Committee for the Care of Churches.
De Minimis Regulations: The Chancellor of each diocese publishes written guidance detailing matters of a minor nature that may be undertaken without a faculty. Contact your DAC for further information.
Diocesan Advisory Committee for the Care of Churches (DAC): The DAC advises parishes, the chancellor and the archdeacons on faculty matters and on proposals which will lead to applications at a later stage. Parishes should consult the DAC as early as possible. A list of contact details for the DACs is available on this website.
Ecclesiastical Exemption: Because the Church of England operates its own mechanism for regulating changes to its buildings, contents and churchyards in form of the Faculty Jurisdiction, Church of England churches under the Faculty Jurisdiction are exempt from listed building and conservation area consent.
English Heritage (EH): English Heritage is the Government's statutory adviser on the historic environment. EH is consulted over faculty applications, administers the listing system and offers repair grants for listed places of worship.
Fabric: The fabric of a church building is its outer envelope, the walls, floor and the roof.
Faculty Jurisdiction: The Faculty Jurisdiction is the Church of England's mechanism for regulating changes to its church buildings, their contents and churchyards. It aims to ensure that churches, and everything which belongs to them, are properly cared for, and that whatever is done to them is properly considered beforehand and carried out in the best possible way.
Faculty: Official permission of the chancellor of a diocese (or an archdeacon) to make any changes to a consecrated place of worship or land.
Ferramenta: The iron framework or fittings which provide a fixing for glazing panels in a wide window space.
Inspecting architect: the architect or surveyor chosen by the parish and approved by the DAC to conduct the Quinquennial Inspection of the church.
Listed building: A listed building is protected as being of 'special architectural or historic interest' and is placed on the statutory lists administered by English Heritage. Listed Building Consent is required for any alterations made to the building. While listed churches are exempt from Listed Building Consent, alterations of separately listed structures such as tombs or walls will require permission from the local planning authority.
Parochial Church Council (PCC): Representative body of parishioners elected from those on the electoral roll and usually chaired by the vicar.
PCC: see Parochial Church Council
QI: see Quinquennial Inspection
Quinquennial Inspection (QI): A professional inspection of a church building and its contents, as well as of ruins and trees in the churchyard required to be undertaken every five years by the inspecting architect or surveyor.
Quinquennial Inspection Report: The report of the findings and recommendations of the Quinquennial Inspection. Copies of the report are sent to the secretary of the Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC), the archdeacon, the incumbent and the secretary of the Parochial Church Council (PCC).
Relative Humidity (RH): the moisture content of the air divided by the maximum amount of moisture the air can hold at that temperature. It is measured on a percentage scale with 0 per cent being very dry and 100 per cent being very damp. Heaters and the absence of moisture reduce RH. The wrong level of RH can destroy artworks and fittings and it is vital to establish a level of RH which is appropriate for their various materials.
