You may already have heard from the national Church of England about the introduction of the new Building Management Portal, which will replace the Online Faculty System.
We know that changes to systems can feel unsettling, particularly if you already have an application in progress. Please be reassured that you do not need to start your application again. All live cases will be transferred automatically from the current system to the new Building Management Portal.
What is changing?
The Building Management Portal is a new digital system for managing applications for works to churches, their contents and churchyards. It will replace the Online Faculty System and will be used for List A, List B and faculty applications.
The legal process and permissions themselves are not changing. The new system is simply a different digital way of managing the existing process, with clearer stages and improved visibility of applications.
The Online Faculty System will close on 30 September, and the new Building Management Portal is expected to go live on 6 October.
What happens to my current application?
If you have an application that is currently live on the Online Faculty System, it will be transferred automatically to the new Building Management Portal.
You will not need to submit the application again.
After the new system goes live on 6 October, you will need to register for the new system in order to access your applications. Registration will be available when the new system launches.
As part of the transfer, we are working through existing applications to make sure that information is as useful and up to date as possible. To help with this, Teresa or Sash may contact you if your application has been live for some time without progressing. This is simply part of our preparation for the move to the new system, so please don’t be concerned if you hear from us.
If you have an application that you no longer wish to proceed with, please let Teresa or Sash know. We can help you delete or abandon an application where appropriate, rather than you having to work this out yourself.
Please also be reassured that applications transferred to the new system will not simply disappear. Information from the old system will be retained as part of your church’s case file.
What should I do now?
We are currently in the testing and preparation phase, as the diocesan team gets familiar with the new system and works through any issues or glitches.
For this reason, we are discouraging new applications from being started on the Online Faculty System where this can reasonably be avoided, particularly with the system closing on 30 September. Further information will be available on the diocesan faculty webpage.
If you already have an application in progress, you do not need to take any action simply because of the change of system. Your live application will be transferred, and you will be able to register for the new system from 6 October.
If you need help with an existing application, or if your circumstances have changed and you would like to abandon or delete an application, please contact Teresa Hudson or Sash Giles and we will be happy to help.
A note about emails from the diocesan team
Thank you for your patience while we learn the new system and make sure the transition is as smooth as possible. We appreciate that there will inevitably be a period of adjustment, and we will share further information and guidance as it becomes available.
If you have any questions or concerns about a current or future application, please contact Teresa at ku.gro.coidsolg@nosduht or Sash at ku.gro.coidsolg@seligs.
More information and guidance will be added to the diocesan faculty webpage as the transition progresses.
News Hub
