The Online Faculty System
The Faculty process is a necessary safeguard to ensure that alterations and repairs to our church buildings are of the highest quality and that important contents are preserved. However, for those involved in making changes to a church it can seem a difficult process.
As of 6th October 2026, all applications are made using the Building Management Portal (which replaces the previous Online Faculty System). Full guidance for parishes on all the aspects of using the Building Management Portal are online. We have also launched a dedicated resources page with further links to training and FAQs.
On 1 April 2020 new faculty rules came into effect. The new rules aim to better support churches through the faculty process. For churches with far-reaching proposals that will change the character of a listed building wide consultation remains necessary. This consultation (with Historic England, Amenity Societies et al) must now take place before the works come to the DAC, thus enabling a more comprehensive response before the Chancellor sees the final application.
Updated guidance for parishes on the new rules from the Church of England is here. The flowchart can be downloaded as a stand-along document.
Full guidance on producing a satisfactory PCC Resolution to meet the requirements of the Chancellor and Archdeacons can be found here.
2026 Update (updated 8th October 2026)
This is a quick notification to inform everyone who has used or will need to use the Online Faculty System (OFS) to apply for applications to their church buildings, that the tool for undertaking this process has now changed.
The Online Faculty System became read-only for new applications and case updates at 5.00pm on 28th September 2026. This was required to allow the final transfer of data and records to the Building Management Portal and to ensure that no information was lost during the migration.
New applications and updates should now be submitted through the Building Management Portal. The Online Faculty System closed permanently at midnight on 30th September 2026 and has been replaced by the Building Management Portal.
As of 6th October 2026, all new faculty applications, List B applications, List A records, notifications and other church buildings work must be submitted through the Building Management Portal. Existing cases and historical records have been transferred to the new platform as part of the migration.
Further information about the transition, together with guidance and support materials, is available on the Church of England website here.
It is important to note that the process itself has not changed – what has changed is the way it is presented and managed, with clearer stages, better prompts and more intuitive guidance, which will make it easier for users to navigate.
More detailed parish‑facing materials have been produced nationally, including videos and guidance. Online help videos should be available on the new BMP site to guide you through each different stage of the faculty application process.
We will endeavour to provide support through this transitional process and any guidance required nearer the time and during the initial phasing in of the new database.
Further details and information can be found on the Churchcare website here.