The Diocesan Advisory Committee for the Care of Churches (DAC) is a statutory body set up under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction, which provides advice and guidance on the care of churches and churchyards.
Making changes to church buildings, contents or grounds requires submission of a faculty application (a request for permission) to the Chancellor of the Diocese. Faculties are issued by the Chancellor or the Archdeacons, taking the DAC’s advice into account.
If you have questions about whether something you are planning requires permission, please send your enquiry to dac@derby.anglican.org.
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>> See the current faculty applications
The DAC is made up of the Chair, the Revd Canon Matt Barnes, the Archdeacons, representatives of the clergy and laity and national heritage organisations together with architects and others with specialist knowledge. The DAC also has a panel of expert advisers who serve in a voluntary capacity and can be called on to provide additional specialist advice. Between them the members and advisers of the DAC have expertise in a wide variety of specialist fields, including architecture, art, archaeology, bells, heating, organs, clocks, sound and audio systems, liturgy and the environment.
The work of the DAC is vital if the Church is to retain freedom to handle its own planning consents and so protect the role of the churches as places used for worship.
Important dates
Faculty application closing dates 2025
Monday 13th January 2025
Friday 28th February 2025
Friday 2nd May 2025
Friday 27th June 2025
Friday 5th September 2025
Friday 31st October 2025
2025 meeting dates (PDF format)
DAC Committee Members
Revd Canon Matthew Barnes, ChairmanVenerable Karen Hamblin, Archdeacon of East Derbyshire
Venerable Nicky Fenton, Archdeacon of Derbyshire Peak & Dales
Mr James Darwin, Amenities Societies Representative
Mr Simon Gratton, Conservation Architect
Revd Canon Julian Hollywell, clergy member
For advice or guidance, please contact:
Kat Alldread: 01332 388683
Email: dac@derby.anglican.org
New Building Management System
The Church of England has developed a new system for handling Faculty applications. It will replace the current Online Faculty System and is due to go live in October 2025 (this is a revised launch date from the original date of April, in order to allow more time to transition to the new system). The new system is similar in terms of process, but it will include additional functionality for DACs, Registrars, Chancellors, external consultees and advisers to manage Faculty cases. Further communications regarding training, how to register for the system and how active Faculty cases will be transferred to the new system will all follow and be posted on this webpage, as further information is received from the national Church.
Look for further updates regarding the new system in this regular email to church leaders. If you have any questions about this, please email dac@derby.anglican.org.
A series of Learning in Faith Bitesize training sessions are available online to guide you through church maintenance and the faculty process. The training sessions are free of charge and available to access at any time.
The Derby Diocesan Registry website has further information on faculty jurisdiction, churchyards, memorials and more.
Churchcare provides a series of guidance notes relating to the care, use and development of church buildings. For further information and guidance, click on the Guidance Notes button below.
REMEMBER : Reguar attention to these things saves you money ...
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inspection: undertake regular inspections, to assess condition, identify problems and to decide whether work is necessary
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regular maintenance tasks: jobs like clearing gutters, testing services, checking for damp and clearing the churchyard
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minor repairs: ongoing minor repairs to the building, perhaps as the result of extreme weather, can include fixing slipped roof tiles, replacing broken glass or making temporary ‘flashband’ repairs
Download your Maintenance Checklist here.
Other helpful information can be found on the National Churches Trust webpages.
To find accredited maintence contractors register for FREE with Maintenance Booker.
Submitting applications
All applications for works to churches can be made through the Online Faculty System
Additonal Matters Orders
The Faculty Jurisdiction Rules allow the Chancellor to make an order for items that are not listed in Lists A and B to be treated as such rather than needing a full faculty.
Links to the AMOs applicable to this diocese are given below.
>> Additional Matters Order - Vaccination Centres [PDF]
>> Additional Matters Order -Trial Pits [PDF]
>> Additional Matters Order - Disposal of Church Contents [PDF]
