To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what representations she has received on the use of church facilities for community purposes at times when worship or church events are not taking place.
Answered on
23 April 2019
The Church of England encourages its churches to consider making wider, more imaginative and more strategic use of their buildings, where this will help them to fulfil their purpose of being a Christian presence in every community. There is national guidance on selecting the right legal and funding model to develop church buildings for uses beyond worship, whether that is to tackle issues of social justice, or for a commercial partnership. Individual decisions on what is right for particular churches and communities are made by parishes.
National guidance is available here, along with a number of case studies: https://www.churchofengland.org/more/church-resources/churchcare/advice-and-guidance-church-buildings/sharing-your-building
The Diocese of Hereford has produced a comprehensive resource on developing church buildings for additional uses, called Crossing the Threshold, available here: https://www.churchofengland.org/more/church-resources/churchcare/making-changes-your-building-and-churchyard