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PUBLIC NOTICES
All consecrated buildings and burial grounds are subject to the jurisdiction of the Diocesan Bishop. The Bishop does not exercise this jurisdiction personally, but through the Chancellor of the Diocese, who is one of the two legal officers of the diocese, the other being the Diocesan Registrar. This is known as Faculty Jurisdiction.
For matters which fall outside the Faculty Jurisdiction Rules, please see below.
Anglican churches in use are exempt from the requirement for Listed Building Consent, because of the control which the Church of England exercises through the Faculty Jurisdiction. This is known as the "ecclesiastical exemption", but it does not exempt a Parochial Church Council from the need to apply also for Planning Permission and/or Building Regulations Approval in a case where Planning Permission and/or Building Regulations Approval would normally be required, for example, in relation to the proposed extension of a church building.
Rule 9.9 of the Faculty Jurisdiction Rules 2015 also provides that where a petition relates to works that involve the demolition of a listed building, the alteration to or the extension of any part of a grade I or II* listed building, or the exterior of a grade II listed building to such extent as would be likely to affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest; or demolition affecting the exterior of an unlisted building in a conservation area, public notice of the proposed works must be given through the Diocesan website. Such notices will appear on this page.
Should you wish to object to any of the works for which public notice has been given you must write to the Diocesan Registrar at The Registry, Clayton House, Walker Business Park, BLACKBURN BB1 2QE and your letter must reach the Registrar no later than the date stated in the public notice.
If you have any queries regarding the above you should contact the Diocesan Registry on 07966 531786 or by email to lisa.moncur@blackburn.anglican.org
Where a public notice has been displayed regarding matters which fall outside of Faculty Jurisdiction, further details can be found below. Details are added on a case-by-case basis.
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CURRENT PUBLIC NOTICES
IN THE MATTER OF CALDERSTONES CEMETERY
Conditions set for the future of Calderstones Cemetery:
The Bishop of Blackburn has today ruled that a portion of land within Calderstones Cemetery can be deconsecrated to ensure its future use, subject to a series of strict conditions. This follows a period of consultation in which the Bishop also sought views from members of the public.
In 2019, an application was initially made to deconsecrate a portion of the land after the council granted planning permission for a crematorium to be built within the Cemetery. The then Bishop of Blackburn, the Rt Rev Julian Henderson, ruled that further investigations should be carried out to ascertain whether human remains lay within this part of the land. These investigations have now been undertaken, with inspections of cemetery records and an independent survey using ground penetrating radar concluding that there are no remains in the portion of land in question.
On this basis, the present Bishop of Blackburn, the Rt Rev Philip North, has agreed this specific area of the cemetery can therefore be deconsecrated. The rest of the land will remain consecrated, and the Bishop has set strict conditions for its future to ensure the remembrance of people buried within it. These include that new landscaping and other works of restoration are carried out in the burial ground. The Bishop has also decreed that the consecrated burial ground should be open to visitors, a communal memorial should be erected, and information boards explaining the history of the cemetery be put in place.
The full set of conditions and the reasons behind the Bishop’s decision are set out in this letter:
Public notice of decision made regarding Calderstones Cemetery
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