Helping Clergy And
Their Families Feel Safe And Comfortable
In Their Homes
Policies & Procedures
2016
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This book belongs to the parish of: _____________________________
Your two points of contact in the Clergy Housing Department are:
Claire Evans 0151 705 2129 (Properties Support Officer)
Alan Gayner 0151 705 2128 (Diocesan Properties Manager) [email protected]
If you have a question about or a problem with your home, please e-mail
(preferred) or telephone before taking any action.
The Clergy Housing Department is busy. If you cannot get through please
leave a clear message and any instructions will be actioned at the earliest
opportunity. Unless the message is unclear there is generally no need for us to
call you back. If your message is more complex please e-mail.
In case of a real emergency, these numbers may be helpful:
Plumber John Pugh 07711 006955
Electrician Tom Nuttall 07768 211376
Emergency Glazier Property Care 07932 122950
Services 0151 261 0051 / 428 5892
Alarms/CCTV Anthony Pheysey 07836 237018
BMW Treecare Barry Hughes 07909 520687
Drains: A1 All Clear 07860121442
General Contractors:
Property Care Services: 0151 284 4466
Carroll Property Services: 07946 641897
Local Contacts:
It might be helpful to record the relevant numbers for your parish:
Electricity Supplier: _____________________________ Gas Supplier: _____________________________ Water Supplier: _____________________________ Deanery Rep.: _____________________________
If during holiday periods the above are personnel are unable to be contacted then please deal with Clergy Housing Committee
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matters locally but only in an absolute emergency where remedial work is essential.
Please keep this booklet in a safe and accessible place and let your
Churchwardens have a copy.
Housing of Incumbents and Curates
Clergy houses are the property of the Diocesan Board of Finance and therefore
the responsibility of the Diocesan Clergy Housing Committee. Apart from in
specific areas, curates’ housing is the responsibility of the parish.
Your clergy house, you and us
Your clergy house has two functions. First and foremost it is a home for you
and your family. But it is also where you do much of your study and
preparation for worship and preaching as well as holding the occasional
meeting and maybe some parish administration.
It is the responsibility of the Clergy Housing Committee to make sure that your
clergy house is appropriately maintained and, when necessary, repaired as
required under the Repair of Benefice Building Measure 1972, while still giving
you a chance to make it your ‘own’.
It is your responsibility, helped by your PCC/DCC, to contribute to this
maintenance by taking proper care of your home.
The rest of this booklet aims to help you (or the Sequestrators during a
vacancy) and us in meeting these shared responsibilities by setting out their
range and nature.
We are always looking to improve the services that we provide and welcome
any suggestions for how we can do this. We also welcome feedback on the
clarity and helpfulness of this booklet.
Together we can make it work, and work well!
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CONTENTS Page
The Clergy Housing Committee 4 Before you Move in 6 During the Incumbency 7/8
Maintenance & Repair – who does what? 9 Improvements 10
Development 11
Replacement of Clergy Houses 12 Moving Out 13 Insurance 14 Security 14
Decorations 14
Notes for Churchwardens 15-17 Questions People Often Ask 18-19
The Clergy Housing Tree Policy 19 Curates Housing Scheme 22 Log Sheet 26
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The Clergy Housing Committee
The Diocesan Clergy Housing Committee shall be a sub-committee of the Finance Committee and it shall act as the Diocesan Glebe Committee and also the Diocesan Parsonages Committee. The task of the Committee shall be:
To set policies and give governance to the management of the diocesan glebe portfolio as prescribed by the Glebe and Endowments
Measure 1976.
To set policies and act in connection with the provision and maintenance of housing for clergy and others working in furtherance of the objects of the Board (in accordance with the Repair of Benefice Buildings Measure 1972 and the Parsonages Measure 1938 as
amended) in particular to ensure that clergy and their families feel safe and comfortable in their homes and that they provide a good base for ministry and home life.
Membership of the Diocesan Clergy Housing Committee
i. A Chairman, appointed on the invitation of the Diocesan Bishop by the
Finance Committee at its first meeting in each triennium
ii. The Archdeacons. iii. One clergy and one lay member from each Archdeaconry elected by Diocesan Synod at the first meeting in each triennium
iv. Up to three co-opted members appointed by the Committee In attendance: the Diocesan Secretary and the members of the Clergy Housing team.
No business shall be transacted unless a quorum is present. The quorum is one third of the total actual membership at the time.
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The Clergy Housing Committee meets at least six times a year, normally on
the second Thursday, of January, March, May, July, September and November
between 1.00pm- 3.00pm.
All questions to do with clergy houses should be referred first to the Properties
Support Officer - Tel. 0151 705 2129.
The Clergy Housing Committee operates within the constraints of the budget
set by the Diocesan Synod to enable clergy and their families feel safe and
comfortable in their homes.
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1. BEFORE YOU MOVE IN
Following vacant possession and prior to you moving in the Diocesan
Properties Manager will meet with you and inspect the property. You can
arrange for your new Churchwardens to be present if required.
It is important to note that, while necessary maintenance and repair will,
normally, be carried out before you take up an appointment, recommended
improvements will be scheduled according to their place in the Committee’s
prioritised list. This list is based wholly on the condition of the items proposed
for improvement and the process of prioritization sets out to ensure fairness to
all incumbents, whether they have been in post for a significant period or are
moving to a new post, as well as the most efficient use of the Committee’s
budget.
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2. DURING THE INCUMBENCY
Once you are in your house the Clergy Housing Committee has an on-going
responsibility to maintain the house to an appropriate standard. This
responsibility essentially falls under 3 broad headings:
Maintenance and Repair
Improvement
Development
(a) Maintenance and Repair
The Clergy Housing Committee has a statutory duty to carry out repairs, which
involve making good what already exists. In practice maintaining the clergy
house to a good standard is a partnership between the Clergy Housing
Committee and the Incumbent and involves schedules of inspection,
maintenance and repair.
Regular Inspections
Your clergy house will be scheduled for a regular inspection (generally every
5 years) by the Properties Manager, preferably accompanied by you.
It is helpful if you make the Properties Manager aware, at the inspection, of
any particular areas of concern.
You will be sent a copy of the Report. If you have any comments or queries
you should send them to the Properties Support Officer as soon as possible.
The Clergy Housing Committee will consider any comments you have
submitted and will authorise the Properties Manager to make the necessary
arrangements which have been agreed. He is responsible for drawing up the
schedule and instructing the work.
The authorised work of maintenance and repair identified as a result of the
inspection will start as soon as possible and at the latest within 24 months.
When an upgrade to the fabric and/or services is identified as necessary or
desirable, this will be built into the Committee’s overall schedule for such
works but may not take place alongside the more routine quinquennial works.
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Regular maintenance - Central Heating, Gas Safety & Electrical testing
The Clergy Housing Committee, through the Properties Manager, takes
responsibility for ensuring that boilers are serviced and gas appliances safety-
checked annually and electrical installation tested at the time of your
Quinquennial work.
Repairs Required Between Regular Inspections
If/when a repair is needed between inspections you must first contact the
Clergy Housing Support Officer. She can advise on the most appropriate action
and will, where necessary, arrange for the approval from the Clergy Housing
Committee to be sought. A message will suffice in most cases.
Emergency Repairs
In the case of an emergency (e.g. a burst pipe or storm damage) where you
judge that the fabric of the house would be further harmed by the delay of
following normal procedures, you should act immediately to have the repair
carried out by contacting the relevant contractor as listed on page 1. Wherever
possible you should try to contact the Clergy Housing department first. You
must also let the Properties Support Office know of the action you have taken
as soon as possible.
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Maintenance and Repair – who does what?
The Clergy Housing Committee will:
carry out regular inspections of clergy houses;
maintain and repair;
i) the external structure and fabric of the buildings of the clergy house, including external doors, windows, drains, gutters and external pipes;
ii) drives (normally minor repairs only), walls (subject to Committee approval), gates and fences.
iii) installations in the clergy house for the supply of water, gas and electricity, and for sanitation, including basins, sinks, baths, showers and sanitary conveniences (the Committee is not responsible for
maintaining or repairing any installations carried out by the incumbent);
iv) space and water heating installations with the clergy house – including the annual servicing of the boiler;
v) any fixtures and fittings in the clergy house, as long as they belong to the Diocese.
vi) burglar alarms, CCTV and PAA but not monitoring systems which are the responsibility of the parish.
The Incumbent should contribute to the good maintenance of the home by regularly:
looking from ground level at the roof to check that tiles/ slates are all in place and that gullies and gutters are not overflowing;
checking the boundary fences and ensuring that hedging is trimmed at
appropriate intervals and that wooden fencing is treated with a preservative every couple of years (a grant of £40 is available for buying the preservative);
keeping the house in good decorative order (a decorating grant is available – see page 14).
If/when repairs are required you should in all normal circumstances contact the Properties Support Officer first. She will be able to advise you
on your best option.
Where there is an emergency e.g. a burst pipe you should take the necessary action immediately by contacting the relevant contractor listed on page 1.
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(b) Improvements
The Committee will, informed by its regular inspections, establish and carry
out a planned and prioritised programme of improvement to its housing stock
in respect of e.g. windows, boilers, kitchens.
The approval of the Clergy Housing Committee is needed for any other
proposed improvements or upgrades to the clergy house or anything within its
boundaries. This can only be given after agreement has been reached between
the Committee, the incumbent and their PCC/DCC. It is important to
remember that if the clergy house or its surrounding walls, gates, outbuildings
etc are ‘listed’, or if the clergy house is located within a conservation area,
special attention is required and, in particular, any proposal must have Listed
Building Consent from the Local Authority.
Improvements/upgrades might include replacement of single glazing with
double glazing throughout the house, cavity wall and loft insulation,
thermostatic radiator valves, electric showers (over the bath, not a separate
cubicle), kitchen modernisation, additional electric sockets. They may result
from the inspection but, even when they do, they still require approval from
the Clergy Housing Committee.
It is important to remember that if work is begun before approval is given, the
Committee will not accept responsibility for the work and may require you to
re-instate the property at your own expense when you leave the house.
Always consult the Properties Support Officer before doing anything.
A word on contractors
The Properties Manager is the only person entitled to give instructions to the
Contractor. If you give a Contractor instructions to do additional work
while he is at the house, you will be personally liable for the costs
involved.
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(c) Development
The Clergy Housing Committee will, on behalf of the Diocese, consider and,
where appropriate, authorise consent for proposals to:
improve a clergy house;
alter a clergy house;
divide a clergy house;
lease a clergy house not currently required for an incumbent;
provide a new or replacement clergy house, by purchase or building,
dependent on the agreement of a suitable financial package;
sell a clergy house;
demolish a clergy house.
Development work will only take place after appropriate consultation and
subsequent approval.
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WHAT HAPPENS ABOUT REPLACEMENT OF CLERGY HOUSES?
Many unsuitable houses have been replaced over the past few years but a few
remain. If they are still needed and cannot be brought up to appropriate
standards, the Clergy Housing Committee will consider replacement.
There are five stages to this process during which the Clergy Housing
Committee will:
1. Discuss with the Diocesan Mission & Pastoral Committee whether they
wish to make a recommendation as to whether the house is expected to
be needed in the foreseeable future.
2. If it is, consider how the replacement may be best achieved:
a) altering the present house;
b) buying an existing house;
c) building a new house.
3. Discuss the funding with the PCC and the Diocesan Board of Finance. All
such schemes must be approved as self-financing.
4. Appoint an agent, after discussion between the PCC, the Clergy Housing
Committee and the Properties Manager.
5. Approve the proposals, along with the Incumbent, the Local Authority
and on occasion with the Church Commissioners.
All proposals regarding the replacement of clergy housing should be copied to
the Deanery Mission & Pastoral Committee.
The replacement scheme may go ahead only after all consents have been
given and the sale of the house, and agreements about the use of the
proceeds of the sale, have been obtained. No alterations at all may be made to
the scheme once the final agreement has been reached without returning to
the Clergy Housing Committee and on occasion the Church Commissioners to
go through a further approval process.
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If you need fuller information about any replacement scheme issues, please in
the first instance contact the Properties Support Officer for clarification on
process.
MOVING OUT
Before you leave your clergy house:
a) you will receive a copy of the letter which will have been sent to your
Churchwardens explaining how the property should be left and inviting
them/you to report on the condition of the clergy house together with
any recommendations you feel are appropriate to make about its
possible improvement.
b) The Properties Manager will meet the Churchwardens after your
departure to inspect the property and discuss the comments.
c) It is essential that you clear the house thoroughly and remove all
unwanted articles and/or rubbish not only from the clergy house but
also from the garage and its grounds before you leave so that they are
left in a state in which you would expect to find them. The house
should be in an acceptable decorative and clean condition.
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INSURANCE
Buildings Insurance
The Clergy Housing Committee insures all clergy houses together with their
surrounding walls, fences, gates etc under a block policy with the Ecclesiastical
Insurance Group against, as is usual, accidental and other damage but not
‘normal’ wear and tear. If an insurable problem arises in relation to your
house, you must let the Properties Support Officer know right away, since all
claims have to be lodged with EIG from St James’ House, together with
photographs.
If you are not sure if an insurance claim is appropriate, ask the advice of the
Properties Support Officer.
If the damage is the result of criminal activity, you must tell the police, who
will issue you with a crime number. Without this number, the claim will not
be valid. These details must be given promptly to the Clergy Housing
Department.
Contents Insurance
You are responsible for your own Contents Insurance policy.
Ensure that your security system is always used and all window and door locks
are used and fully operative, because this may affect your insurance premium.
SECURITY
The Committee takes security very seriously and will do its best, within its
budget, to support improvements and repairs to items such as security alarm
and lighting systems.
DECORATIONS
In recognition of the fact that a vacancy is a good time to do internal
decorations, the Clergy Housing Committee makes a grant of £300 towards the
cost. The PCC is responsible for the work.
An annual grant of £50 is offered towards the costs of materials for decoration
work undertaken by the incumbent or parish volunteers (reimbursement made
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on receipt of evidence of purchase). Alternatively if a contractor is used then
1/3rd of the cost will be reimbursed up to a maximum grant of £150 (i.e. a bill
of £450). There is only one grant per parish per year. This may not be claimed
in retrospect.
The Committee will also approve a bi-annual grant of £40 for the purchase of
wood preservative for treating boundary fences. Payment will be made on
receipt of evidence of purchase.
NOTES FOR CHURCHWARDENS
What happens before and during a vacancy?
You and your Vicar will receive a letter prior to their leaving the Vicarage, this
letter will outline your responsibilities before and when the Vicarage becomes
empty. At this time you will be invited to comment on the property and then a
visit will be arranged for the Property Manager to inspect, after the Vicar has
left.
The Clergy House
Vandalism is a high risk in virtually all areas. Unfortunately keeping an
occasional eye on an empty clergy house is no longer sufficient to protect it.
Experience has shown that a more careful strategy is required. There are two
basic scenarios:
(i) Where the vacancy is expected to be under 6 months
Where the Diocesan Mission and Pastoral Committee has approved the
appointment of a new incumbent and that appointment is expected to be taken
up in under six months, the parish is responsible for the Clergy house. This
means that:
a) The churchwardens(s) and/or their appointed representatives must
inspect the clergy house at least twice a week and a record of those
inspections must be kept, preferably in the log at the back of this
handbook.
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b) Where the house is likely to be empty for a period during the winter
and there is, therefore, danger of burst pipes, the water will be drained
since bursts and the damage they cause cost a great deal to put right.
Please contact us and we will arrange for this to be done.
c) It is probably most economic to ask BT to maintain the telephone since
re-connection is costly, though it might be advisable to ban outgoing
calls.
d) Utility bills received during the vacancy when the property is empty
must be paid by the PCC/DCC (do not transfer these into the name
of the Diocese). If Ad Hoc (who are security guardians) go into
occupation it is our responsibility or a tenant then the bills become the
tenant’s responsibility. Meters should be read when the Vicar moves
out and again once anyone takes up occupation and when they leave.
N.B. It is important that, when prospective incumbents and their families and
tenants and guardians are invited to look at the house, it is as well presented
as possible.
(ii) Where the vacancy is expected to be over 6 months
It is quite common for vacancies to last beyond six months. So where the
Diocesan Mission & Pastoral Committee has approved the appointment of a
new incumbent but that appointment is not expected to be taken up for six
months or more, the Clergy Housing Committee will seek to arrange for the
letting of the clergy house on a temporary basis. The Properties Support
Officer can advise about this. Where such a letting is achieved the Clergy
Housing Committee will:
a) take over responsibility for the clergy house from the point at which it
is let; until the churchwardens receive written confirmation of the
letting they should continue to take responsibility for the house as
defined under (i) above.
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(b) Where appropriate it may be decided for Ad Hoc to take up occupation
whereby the Diocese is responsible for all the utility bills which include council
tax, water, gas & electricity.
Other points to note
Where, because of pastoral re-organisation, the clergy house is no longer
required for an incumbent, the Clergy Housing Committee will take over
responsibility for the house on the date the incumbent leaves. No rent payable
to the PCC/DCC.
Gardening is the parish’s responsibility when the property is empty unless
occupied by a tenant or Ad Hoc Guardians.
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Questions People Often Ask
Who provides the cooker?
You do and it should be of a free-standing type. Unless of course the property
already has a fitted cooker.
What is the policy on smoke alarms?
It is the responsibility of the Clergy Housing Committee to install two mains
linked smoke alarms. Usually one in the hall and one on the landing.
Who is responsible for television aerials/telephones?
The Clergy Housing Committee is not. You might wish to discuss this with your
PCC/DCC on both of these items.
What is the policy on showers?
We have been following a gradual policy of installing showers at clergy houses
expense as part of environmental commitment. Please bear in mind that
normally approval will be given only for a shower incorporated over the bath,
not for a separate cubicle and fitted with a rail for a curtain.
What happens if there is a problem with a fitted kitchen?
Any minor problem to the kitchen fitments would come under the normal
heading of ‘Repair’. The replacement of, for example, the worktops would be
regarded as an upgrade. The replacement of a full kitchen would come under
the heading of ‘Improvements’. Both would require the permission of the
Clergy Housing Committee.
Who is responsible for plumbing in my washing machine/appliances?
This is your responsibility and can be carried out by our heating and plumbing
engineer at your cost.
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What happens if there is a problem with a tree?
The Committee should be alerted to any matter concerning a tree because of
possible problems like preservation orders. The first step would be to ring the
Properties Support Officer.
Hedging should always be kept to a manageable size. The Committee will not
look favourably on monitoring hedging which has been left to grow out of
control.
The Clergy Housing Tree Policy:
Introduction
These policies are intended as guidelines for determining whether or not
requests for the pruning of managed trees by the Clergy Housing Department
within the curtilage of vicarages should lead to action. It is not possible to anticipate every situation and it is therefore important that whilst these policies guide decisions they will not be considered absolutely prescriptive. Furthermore, no one policy will be considered in isolation, but all relevant policies will be taken into account when reaching a decision. These
policies will further be considered in the context of wider strategic aims relating to individual areas.
Safety
Where there is a clear and foreseeable threat to the personal safety of
residents or visitors, or to property, that is directly related to the condition of a
tree, action will be taken to minimise that risk.
Risk that is an indirect consequence of a tree (e.g. slippery leaves on the
pavement in autumn) will be dealt with through pruning only in unusual
circumstances where other options are not available.
Unfounded fear of a tree will not result in action to prune the tree.
Obstruction of the Highway
The Clergy Housing Department will seek to ensure that adequate clearance of
the highway for the type of traffic using that highway is maintained at all
times. Complaints about low branches over the highway will be considered and
acted upon promptly.
Obstruction of street lights and road signs
The Clergy Housing Department will endeavour to ensure that trees under
their management do not obscure road signs or prevent street lamps from
illuminating the highway.
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The purpose of street lamps is to illuminate the public highway and where
adequate illumination of the highway is present the Diocese will not normally
take action to improve the levels of illumination of private property.
Daylight Loss
Action will normally only be considered where the separation between the tree
and the window of the nearest habitable room is less than 6m for trees with a
height of over 12m, or less than half the height of the tree for smaller trees, or
where the separation between the edge of the canopy and a vertical line
through that window is less than 2m.
A ‘habitable room’ means a dining room, lounge, kitchen, study or bedroom
but specifically excludes WCs, bathrooms, utility rooms, landings and hallways.
Where a situation falls within these guidelines cases will be prioritised
according to proximity and account will also be taken of the orientation of the
affected window.
Television and other radio equipment
There is no right to good reception and in many cases it is possible to resolve
issues of poor reception involving trees by finding an engineering solution. The Clergy Housing Department will only consider requests to prune trees to improve reception where all the following conditions are true:
Efforts have been made to find an engineering solution to the problem and have not been successful. The work required is consistent with good arboricultural practice and will not
unduly affect the amenity or health of the tree
The work required can be executed within current financial constraints
Leaves, Seeds and Fruit
Leaves and seeds are carried freely on the wind and are largely outside the
control of The Clergy Housing Department. Clearing of leaves from gutters and
pathways and weeding of set seeds are considered to be normal routine
seasonal maintenance which property owners are expected to carry out.
Pruning will not normally be undertaken to attempt to reduce the fall of leaves,
seeds or fruit.
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Honeydew
As with leaves, honeydew is not readily controllable by pruning and cleaning of
affected surfaces can be considered to be routine maintenance. Pruning will
not normally be considered solely as a way of alleviating problems with
honeydew.
Subsidence
Tree related subsidence damage is a complex issue and each case will need to
be considered on an individual basis.
Where damage has occurred The Clergy Housing Department will require that
adequate assessment and monitoring is undertaken to demonstrate that the
tree is involved and that such evidence be submitted in support of any request
for action.
Requests for action based on an unquantified possibility of damage occurring
at an unspecified point in the future will not be considered unless there other
overriding reasons to take action.
Direct Root Damage
As with subsidence, cases of direct root damage will be considered on an
individual basis. A balance will be struck between the nuisance experienced by
individuals and the benefits offered by the tree to the wider community.
Drain Blockage
Trees do not have the capacity to break into a sound drain, but they will
ruthlessly exploit any existing fault. The removal of one tree will not prevent
other vegetation from exploiting the same opportunity.
The presumption is that the appropriate way to deal with tree root blockage of
drains is to ensure that the drains are watertight. Accordingly The Clergy
Housing Department will not normally take action in response to complaints
from neighbours that Clergy Housing managed trees are blocking drains.
Planting of new trees
If you are contemplating planting any new trees within your Vicarage garden
please DO NOT plant them without consulting with the Clergy Housing
Department beforehand.
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CURATES HOUSING SCHEME
Introduction
The deployment of title posts in this diocese is dependent, in addition to the Bishop’s discretion, on the capacity for a parish to provide a positive, varied training context with a training incumbent committed to training and supervision with supporting skill and experience. Until recently the additional financial cost in terms of housing and administrative expenses has usually been a secondary consideration which established training parishes have been content to bear. In many cases, housing costs have often been covered by
parishes purchasing their own curate’s accommodation as a flexible parish asset. However with our commitment to training contexts being diverse and inclusive,
and offering experience of urban and collaborative environments and given other financial pressures currently facing us, housing provision and general
financial concerns have become more significant. This policy provides a structure to help to meet our aspirational training needs for curacies in a way that provides relative parity and opportunity for parishes. Our overall aim must be to offer a thorough and effective training for future leaders in the church. This requires that we have the freedom to place curates in the most suitable contexts. Sometimes that will be where there is no current
housing provision, and sometimes that will be in low income parishes or teams. Unless a parish can make housing provision independently, the burden of overall training costs for this will need to be a partnership between the local
church, or churches, and the DBF. There needs to be a transparent consistency in how that partnership works.
Policy All housing arrangements must be made in principle with the relevant Archdeacon before applying for a curate. The particular needs of a curate will not be known until a suitable candidate is identified by the Bishop’s Curacy Panel and so alternative housing may need to be renegotiated and confirmed
with the Archdeacon before a formal offer of a curacy is made by the Bishop of Warrington.
Training posts are generally not appropriate where there are Parish Share arrears in the curacy context. Even in the lowest income parishes, the decision to offer a curacy must involve
some financial commitment. All parishes should at least make provision for
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covering the costs of Council Tax, Water rates and full expenses of office (c. £3k pa).
The DBF can assist with costs up to an agreed level graded according to the
parish’s potential (as in their Parish Share assessment) as follows:
Parish Share payable
Maximum DBF Contribution to housing costs
Up to £15k £7000
£15k - £30k £4750
Over £30k £3500
This will not normally apply where parishes have their own existing housing provision. However as they may forgo rental income on their house when they
are providing a training post, there is a facility for some minimal contribution from the DBF, again according to need, which must be negotiated with the relevant archdeacon before the post is agreed. Where curates are appointed to work across a team or multiple parishes, the
level will be determined on the basis of the average Parish Share across the parishes. Parishes are also able to access TAP or ACS for additional support with the overall cost of the training post, and are encouraged to apply where their costs are still challenging.
Housing options when considering applying for a curate
NB. In all cases Buildings Insurance, Council Tax, Water Rates and full expenses of office should be met by the parish. Curates should expect to meet their own utility bills, contents insurance and private internet and telephone costs.
1. Parish Owned The parish provides accommodation in a house ‘owned’ by the PCC (but vested in the DBF as PCC’s cannot own property). Repairs, maintenance and building insurance are the responsibility of the parish. The DBF contribution would be
considered to ensure that the parish has some capacity to maintain the
building to an appropriate standard. 2. VLL House A Value Linked Loan house, which is owned by the Church Commissioners, is used for accommodation. This is similar to a parish owned house. The costs of servicing the loan should be taken into account when calculating the cost of
housing for that post, and agreement reached on the level of any DBF
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contribution. Repairs, maintenance and building insurance are usually the responsibility of the parish.
3. Rented
Rented accommodation is arranged either by the parish or by the DBF. In this case there must be early agreement on the level of the DBF contribution. 4. Vicarage / DBF House A vicarage or DBF house is made available for accommodation. The potential rental income is calculated and reckoned as a cost to the parish towards which
the appropriate level of DBF contribution is agreed. Repairs, maintenance and building insurance are the responsibility of the DBF. 5. House owned by a neighbouring parish
Where a parish ‘owns’ a house (vested in the DBF) but will not be expecting to have a curate in the next 5 years, their house might be made available for
accommodation. That parish would retain responsibility for repairs maintenance and building insurance, but would charge a rental where it would be agreed early on how much the parish paid, and the level of DBF contribution (as 2c). 6. Own Home There are, and will be, rare occasions when it is agreed that the curate
remains in their own home for part of, or the duration of, their title post. In these circumstances, they would receive the full Commissioners housing allowance. Their training parish would be asked to reimburse to the DBF that
amount less the appropriate DBF contribution. Guidelines for suitable curacy housing
A curate’s house does not fall under the Green guidelines for clergy housing, however a suitable standard should be provided. There can be some negotiation about the needs of a particular curate. In the case of a curate with a disability arrangements must be agreed on an
individual basis with advice from St James’ House representatives.
In families with more than 2 children it may be appropriate to ask children to share bedrooms, but not in the case of a child with a diagnosed disability or a looked after child.
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The housing should provide:
A clean, neatly decorated and carpeted property at the point of arrival.
Normally a 2-4 bedroomed house depending on the needs of a curate and their family. A suitable room for a study which allows for study, administration and private meetings. (By negotiation this may be in the home, though not counted in the bedroom allocation, or in the church if appropriately convenient, secure and private with telephone/internet access.)
Suitable room to store robes and essential equipment if not provided in the church.
A separate living room and kitchen.
If a curate is expected to use their home for church meetings there must be an additional living room for spouse or family. Suitable parking and/or garage. A NACOSS approved intruder alarm (in some cases it may be appropriate to provide further security measures).
Standard door and window locks.
A working cooker should be provided and space to plumb a washing machine. An outdoor secure area, particularly for curates with children.
The Landlord either private or the PCC must comply with all current safety regulations and issue appropriate certificates.
Reviewed November 2015
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LOG SHEET
Please use this sheet to:
a) Make a brief note of the date and nature of any maintenance/repair
work done to the parsonage house. You will find it helpful in your
discussions with the Diocesan Properties Manager when a Quinquennial
Inspection comes round. Many thanks.
b) Record checks of the empty property in the event of a vacancy.
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Clergy Housing Department
St James’ House 20 St James Road Liverpool L1 7BY
0151 705 2129
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