Title and introductory text
2023 No. 1231
Ecclesiastical Law, England
The Payments to the Churches Conservation Trust Order 2023
Made (approved by the General Synod)
14th November 2023
Laid before Parliament
23rd November 2023
Coming into force
1st April 2024
The Church Commissioners, in exercise of the power under section 65 of the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011 and in accordance with section 9(3A) of the Church Commissioners Measure 1947 and section 11(6) and (7) of the Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure 2018, make the following Order:
Propose a change1 Citation, commencement and interpretation
(1) This Order may be cited as the Payments to the Churches Conservation Trust Order 2023.
(2) This Order comes into force on 1st April 2024.
(3) In this Order, “the 2011 Measure” means the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011.
Propose a change2 Funding period
The funding period for the purposes of Part 6 of the 2011 Measure (buildings closed for regular public worship) is the period which begins with 1st April 2024 and ends with 31st March 2027.
Propose a change3 Amount of payment
(1) The total amount to be paid by the Commissioners to the Churches Conservation Trust in respect of the funding period specified in Article 2, by way of grants under section 57(19) of the 2011 Measure and moneys allocated under section 64(1) of that Measure, is—
(a) £4,800,000 and
(b) such additional amounts as are provided for by paragraph (2).
(2) Where the Commissioners’ one-third share of the proceeds and premiums received during 2024, 2025 or 2026 exceeds £650,000, there is to be an additional amount for the purposes of paragraph (1)(b) equal to the amount of the excess.
(3) But the total of the payments under paragraph (1)(b) must not exceed £900,000; and paragraph (2) accordingly has effect subject to this paragraph.
(4) In paragraph (2)—
(a) the reference to the proceeds and premiums received during a calendar year is a reference to the net proceeds and net premiums referred to in section 64 of the 2011 Measure which are received during that calendar year, and
(b) the reference to the Commissioners’ one-third share of those proceeds and premiums is a reference to the moneys comprised in the remaining one-third as referred to in that section.
Propose a change4 Payments on account
A payment on account of the sum specified in Article 3(1)(a), or of an additional amount referred to in Article 3(1)(b), may be made only if the Commissioners are satisfied that—
(a) the amount of the payment is a proportion of a sum of money needed by the Churches Conservation Trust, and
(b) the balance of that sum will be paid to the Trust out of moneys provided by Parliament.
Propose a change