The makeup of the Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC), the body which makes the recommendation to the Diocesan Chancellor for approval for churches to make changes to consecrated buildings, is changing following approval by Synod.
Several new members have joined the DAC and several long-standing members have stood down. The meetings’ schedule for the DAC has also been streamlined to help meet the needs of our churches. Six full meetings will now take place on alternate months during the year, with a smaller committee meeting in the intervening month. The smaller committee will review all applications to ensure that they are sufficiently comprehensive to allow for full committee assessment, or if further information is required from the parish to allow the application to be reviewed by the main committee.
Christopher Hyldon, Chair of the DAC says, “We are deeply grateful to those members of the DAC who are stepping down after many years of unstinting service to the diocese, as well as those who have joined bringing vital new skills and experience. Without these volunteers across the country the Church of England would lose its authority, under ecclesiastical jurisdiction, to make changes to its consecrated buildings and have to resort to Listed Planning Consent system which would neither understand nor take into account the Mission of our churches when making decisions.”
After two years of Zoom meetings, the committee will meet face to face in Flourish House in March.