Cathedral and Church Buildings

The Cathedral and Church Buildings Division (CCB) is responsible for national policy on the Church of England's buildings which are used for worship. It works closely with other bodies inside and outside the church.

The CCB is responsible for developing and maintaining relations between Church and State, national and local bodies on church building matters. The Division is also responsible for developing the Church's vision of how it may best use its buildings.  It maintains a Library of books and other material dedicated solely to ecclesiastical architecture, art, design and liturgy available for readers interested in those areas.

The CCB also supports three websites:

• Churchcare - sponsored by Ecclesiastical Insurance and aimed at those with responsibility for caring for a church building, its contents or churchyard.  The site provides guidance on care and conservation issues, as well as advice on funding and extended uses of church buildings.
• Churchart - a free resource to encourage artists, congregations, and those involved in the care of churches to foster and engage the arts in the life of the church.  Includes a register of artists and craftspeople.
• Shrinking the Footprint - sponsored by Defra and operated in collaboration with the MPA Division, the website for the Church of England National Environmental Campaign, aiming to encourage and support the whole body of the Church to address the issue of climate change.

The staff of the CCB serve the Council for the Care of Churches (CCC) and the Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England (CFCE) and support the work of the Archbishops' Council in relation to Cathedral and Church Buildings.

The Council for the Care of Churches

The CCC, a permanent commission of the General Synod, supports dioceses and parishes in the use, care and development of parish churches, their contents and churchyards. The CCC's day-to-day work involves:

• offering advice to Chancellors, dioceses and parishes on faculty applications
• distributing grants for the conservation of church fabric and fittings
• organising conferences and seminars and publishing books and other guidance on subjects relating to the care and use of church buildings, their contents and churchyards
• compiling reports on the historic merits and architectural interest of churches being considered for redundancy

Details of the membership of the CCC are available

The Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England

The Commission oversees the Church's own system of controls under the Care of Cathedrals Measure as amended by the Care of Cathedrals (Amendment) Measure 2005. Before implementing any proposals which would affect the character of a cathedral building, its setting, or archaeological remains within its precinct, or an object of artistic, archaeological, architectural or historic interest owned by the Chapter, in its possession or to the possession of which it is entitled, the Dean and Chapter are required to get approval under the Measure, either from the Fabric Advisory Committee serving the cathedral or from the Commission itself. The Commission also offers advice on matters relating to the architecture, archaeology, art and history of cathedrals and their precincts, landscape and environment and publishes a range of guidance and advisory notes.

Details of the membership of the Commission are available

The Church Heritage Forum

The Division also works closely with the Church Heritage Forum which was established in 1997.  The Forum brings together representatives of national and local church interests in matters relating to the Church's built heritage. It enables the Church to take a more proactive role in anticipating developments in the built heritage field; ensures that heritage concerns are fed into the Archbishops' Council; provides a mechanism for members to reach a view on matters of common concern; provides a point of focus for contact both within the Church and with outside bodies; promotes a wider public awareness of the Church's work in the built heritage area; and enables the exchange of information and facilitates mutual support.

Membership comprises representatives from the following: Advisory Board for Redundant Churches, Archbishops' Council, Association of English Cathedrals, Church Commissioners' Redundant Churches Committee, Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England, Churches Conservation Trust, Council for the Care of Churches, representatives of the Ecclesiastical Judges Association and the Ecclesiastical Law Association, and an archdeacon. A diocesan secretary and the Secretary of the Churches Main Committee act as assessors.

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© The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England, 2004