NOTES ACCOMPANYING PETITION FOR FACULTY TO RESERVE A PLOT FOR CREMATED REMAINS

Please download a Petition for Faculty to reserve a plot for the burial of cremated remains. The Applicant(s) who is/are described as Petitioner(s) in this matter) should complete pages 1 and 2 and then hand it to the Minister in charge of the Parish who will complete pages 3, 4 and 5 and return the Petition to the Diocesan Registry.

The Minister is the priest responsible for the churchyard: he or she may be known as the Vicar or Rector or Priest in Charge. If there is a vacancy in the Parish the application should be given to the Rural Dean.

If a Faculty is granted it will be required that the plot be marked both on the ground and on the churchyard plan. Particulars of these requirements are set out in the Petition form; these particulars will constitute conditions on the grant of any Faculty. A Faculty to reserve a particular plot will be for a period which expires on the 1 January following the Petitioner(s) 100th birthday.

Any markers placed in a graveyard without a Faculty having first been granted have no legal effect and do not reserve any plot, and will be cleared or removed during routine maintenance.

There are fees payable on lodging the Petition which are currently :

  • £291.40 made payable to “York Diocesan Registry”, being the faculty fees
  • £79.00 made payable to the “York Diocesan Board of Finance Limited”, being the Minister’s
  • parochial fee which belongs to the DBF
  • £79.00 made payable to the “...... ………...... PCC”, being the parochial fee for the PCC.

Please note that fees are revised periodically. If there is any delay in lodging the petition, please contact the Registry for details of up to date fees. Current fees need to be tendered with the Petitions when they are lodged in the Registry. All three cheques need to be attached to the Petition and sent to the Registry; failure to do so causes delay in the processing of the Petition and additional work in the Registry.

In the event of a Faculty not being granted the faculty fees will not be returned; however the parochial fees payable to the Parochial Church Council and the DBF will be returned.

Finally if you require assistance completing the Petition then you may either email the Faculty Secretary r telephone 01904 623487.