The faculty procedure, even for the most straightforward case, is likely to take up to 3 months. Parishes are advised to allow plenty of time to achieve their plans. The DAC meeting dates are available on the Diocese of Norwich at DAC Meeting Dates 2012 and cases for consideration should be with the DAC Secretary no later than seven working days before the meeting. The Committee may ask for further information or for clarification of points, or for other reasons adjourn the matter before reaching a decision.
It can often be very helpful for parishes to consult with the relevant Amenity Societies either before or during the consultation process with the DAC. This will enable the views of the Amenity Societies concerned to be taken into account, and their expertise can often be very helpful. Consultation with the Societies is normally required before the Chancellor can consider the faculty petition, so early consultation can help to avoid delays later on in the process.
Once the DAC has considered the application, assuming that it has all the information which it needs, the papers are returned to the Diocesan Registrar, who then invites the applicants to submit a formal petition. It usually takes between a week and ten days for this stage from the date of the DAC meeting, depending on the volume of business dealt with at the DAC. The petitioners then need to allow at least 28 days for the display of notices of the proposed works before returning the petition to the Registry.
If consultation with relevant Amenity Societies is required, but has not yet taken place, the Registrar will direct that the parish should obtain the views of the Amenity Society or Societies before the papers go to the Chancellor. This consultation can take place during the 28 day period whilst the public notices are displayed, but it can sometimes take longer for the Societies to respond, so consultation earlier in the process can help to avoid delay at this stage. Early consultation can also enable the advice and views of the Amenity Societies to be taken into account – they will frequently have very helpful expertise available to enable parishes to make the best of their proposals.
It may also be necessary to consult with the Church Buildings Council in cases where the church or its contents are of particular significance (Rule 15 of the FacultyJurisdiction Rules), and in some cases the petition for the faculty will need to be advertised in a local newspaper (Rule 13 of the Faculty Jurisdiction Rules).
Once the Registrar has received the petition back, the papers are sent on to the Chancellor (or, for some minor matters, to the relevant Archdeacon), and if the petition is granted, it is possible that the Faculty can then be issued within a week or so. If a faculty is granted, the Registrar provides the parish with its copy and instructions about the action which then has to be taken, including returning the certificate of the completion of works when the work is completed.
A faculty permitting works to be undertaken will normally be valid for 12 months. Where the parish thinks that the works will take longer, an extended faculty may be sought, but this should be made clear in the application.
