There are in excess of 120 properties within Herefordshire and Shropshire and every one is inspected at five-yearly intervals as part of the quinquennial programme.
As required by the Church Property Measure 2018 the property team is responsible to the Church Commissioners and to the Diocesan Board of Finance (DBF) for all matters relating to the parsonage houses of the Diocese. In this way, the DBF has a direct interest in and responsibility for housing, although clergy occupy these properties as either freeholder, under common tenure or under license.
Caring for the clergy housing is a shared responsibility between the Diocese, the occupant and the Parish. Clergy housing is seen as both a home and a place of work. Caring for the property is not only important for the Diocese, but also for clergy and their family. Attending to maintenance should aid mission both now and in the future.
Funding for property maintenance is derived, in the main, from parish share across the Diocese. Funds are limited and it is not always possible to accommodate all our clergy’s wishes and therefore the DBF has to prioritise works year on year. We have a responsibility to Parishioners to use funds prudently and to ensure that all occupants are treated equally.
We are committed to providing clergy with good quality accommodation and providing an effective housing management service. It is hoped that this goes some way to serving clergy and their parishes in underpinning the following principles:
- Good stewardship
- Improving pastoral care of clergy families.
Repair and maintenance work is carried out by private contractors and all work is instructed, supervised and monitored by the Property Team in the Diocesan Office. The Diocesan Property Team works in accordance with the Measure (2018). Funding for statutory testing, repair and maintenance and capital improvements is funded through a budget allocation made by the DBF. The cost of all agreed repair work is paid for indirectly by parishes through Parish Share.
Clergy Housing Guidance Booklet
Health and Safety in your home