The electrical work of the Great Badminton Restoration project was signed-off on 1^st March 2017. This means that with that phase of the work fully paid for, we are now able to look at the remainder of the work. With this in mind, we are in the process of putting together the paperwork for the Faculty to allow us to start work on Phase 2.

The Church of England‘s buildings fall outside of secular planning laws, the Church operating under Canon Law. Faculty Jurisdiction is the process through which alterations to ecclesiastical buildings are handled. Minor alterations can be approved by the Archdeacon in charge of the applicant parish. Major works are passed onto the Chancellor of the Diocese, who takes advice from the Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC) as to whether the works are suitable or not. If there are no objections, the Chancellor will then grant a Faculty, which means the work can start with immediate effect. Normally all work must be completed within two years of the date the Faculty is granted.

The Faculty application will be for the remainder of the work at Great Badminton. It will cover the work needed to repair or replace damaged or missing stonework, replacing missing louvres in the ringing chamber of the tower, the replacement of a sagging lintel in the fireplace of the Tribune, the renovation of the weather-damaged exterior doors, the replacement of a glass roof over the outer porch (removed many years ago as it was unsafe), and the redecoration of the interior of the church where water damage has been occurred or paint is flaking.

The Faculty application will have been submitted by mid-March and we hope to be able to start work in May, shortly after the Badminton Horse Trials. Due to successful fundraising in Phase 1, we are in the excellent position of having nearly £30,000 in the bank, which will allow us to start the most important work without delay. Despite this, we will still need to raise a further £70,000 approximately to be able to fully complete the restoration of the church.