Faculty and Permissions
When your church is planning building works that relate to decarbonisation – such as roof insulation, new heating or lighting systems, or secondary glazing – there are specific faculty and approval requirements you need to follow. This page sets out what those requirements are and how to navigate them.
Faculty requirements from 1st July 2022
From 1st July 2022, any proposal for works requiring a faculty or List B approval – where the net zero carbon guidance applies – must include an explanation of how the applicants have had due regard to the relevant guidance. This requirement is mandatory.
It applies to any proposed works where decarbonisation may be a factor, including:
- roof or loft insulation
- changes to heating or lighting schemes
- secondary or double glazing
In addition, Lists A and B – which enable certain works to be carried out without a faculty, or with the approval of the Archdeacon – have been amended to include measures concerned with environmental protection. These include fitting boilers that do not use fossil fuels and installing electric vehicle charging points.
The NZC checklist
A checklist has been developed to help parishes review the carbon emissions of their church building and identify actions that can be taken to reduce energy use and associated carbon emissions. A completed checklist should be submitted with any proposals requiring a faculty or List B approval where decarbonisation considerations are a factor, or where requested by the DAC.
The checklist is designed to be used alongside the national Church of England’s guidance document:
- The practical path to net zero carbon for churches (October 2020)
Further guidance on what a net zero carbon church building might look like:
As a general rule, permission is not needed for steps that are about using existing installations more efficiently, keeping ahead of maintenance and repair, or replacing lamps with more efficient ones. If you are unsure whether permission will be needed, please ask your Archdeacon or DAC Secretary.
Church of England guidance
We strongly recommend all parishes read the national Church of England’s guidance on decarbonisation, which includes case studies, a route map to net zero for churches and dioceses, and resources on faculty permission.
Further support
For general support with decarbonisation projects, visit our main decarbonisation page, or get in touch with David Cain or Matt Lockwood.
