statement of significance

If you have decided that change and development is the way forward there are a few things you will need to think about and these will involve returning to the fundamental questions you probably asked yourself when you started thinking about your project.

You should start by stopping! You should stop and take a step back and look at your building again. Look again and try and see the building as if for the first time. Try to identify the physical constraints and opportunities your building may have. You will need to think through the history of the building as well as the architectural development of the structure. Think about the context of the building in its wider setting does it sit isolated on the edge of your village or does it provide a green oasis in an urban context?

This process will lead to the production of a Statement of Significance. The Statement of Significance is an important document that will demonstrate those elements and features which are partciularly important to you and the building. Whatever the needs of your building, and the statutory requirements of carrying out work, the fundamentals of good conservation practice should inform any proposal. 

Your Statement of Significance will have more than one use. Fundamentally it will underpin any application you make for physcial change to the building and is often a document required by the approving body. The document will also be an excellent source of information for all those interested in your building. As well as being a source of information for your congregation it will also provide a valuable educational resource for school groups and casual visitors. Your Statement of Significance could also be the starting point for writing, or rewriting, a short guidebook. A Statement of Significance will help the worshipping congregation and the wider community understand the significance of the building its architecture and its internal fittings. Every place of worship should have a Statement of Significance and this should be prepared independently of individual repair work so that it provides an holistic view of the building as a whole. 

Several bodies provide advice on preparing a Statement of Significance The Churches Trust for Cumbria and Divine Inspiration both provide excellent starting points for those approaching the task for the first time.  The Methodist Church and the Church of England both provide detailed guidance for preparing a Statement of Significance and are available on their websites Methodist Church and Churchcare.

In order to start reseraching your building the best place to begin will be your local Historic Environment Record. Based near you each office maintains a database of local listed buildings and scheduled ancient monuments. You can find contact details for the following regions here: England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.