About The Role
This Invitation to Tender (ITT) is issued by the London Diocesan Fund (LDF) on behalf of the City Deanery to solicit proposals from qualified consultants.
The primary objective of this tender is to appoint a consultant who will provide expert guidance in the assessment of the cultural, historical and aesthetic value of each place, within the Planning context, to produce an updated Framework Conservation Plan for City Churches and their ancillary spaces.
This work forms part of a wider NLHF-funded project: ‘Square Mile churches: towards a sustainable future’.
Overall Project Aims
This tender’s main objective is to appoint a consultant who will provide expert guidance in assessment, planning, and cultural evaluation to update the Framework Conservation Plan for City Churches and their ancillary spaces.
The consultant will review and update the Survey of the Churches in the City of London, assess the ecclesiastical, cultural and architectural value of the 38 City churches, and propose new and enhanced uses while respecting their special and unique qualities.
The LDF is representing the City Deanery in this project. By formulating a project board with representatives of the Deanery and external bodies, the LDF will be the contracting entity responsible for engaging with the successful tenderer.
• Objective and Context: The Framework Conservation Plan aims to provide a detailed assessment of options for change within the City Churches and their ancillary spaces.
• Financial Drivers: The City Deanery faces a growing backlog of repairs and limited Diocesan finances. This project explores how Parochial Church Councils (PCCs) and Guild Church Councils (GCCs) can become more financially sustainable by making better use of their property assets.
• Pastoral Considerations: The project also seeks to understand how these spaces can better serve the evolving pastoral needs of the community and adapt to changing approaches to worship and church use in the City.
• Historical Context: The now ageing condition of post-Blitz interventions has prompted the need for a re-evaluation. The project will consider the historical context of such interventions and their impact on the current state of the buildings.
By addressing these financial, pastoral and historical aspects, the project aims to chart a path forward for the City Churches and reinforce aspects of their heritage while ensuring their continued relevance and sustainability in the modern era.
Project Outputs
• Practical Searchable Document: The submitted plan will encompass a practical, searchable document that will serve as a reference for decisions and proposals concerning each site and its spaces. It will guide decisions made by senior and local clergy and serve as a tool to inform advisory committee officers of the LDF and Historic England, who are statutory consultees.
This document will be a dynamic plan against which future decisions can be measured, and it will help identify flexibility and potential within each site, whilst protecting the historical importance of each space.
• Buildings included: The buildings to be included in this assessment are the church and ancillary buildings, and they will reference earlier work provided on churchyards. The review will include both Parish and Guild churches.
• Data collection: Data will be collected using a standardised format to draw clear conclusions.
• History and context: The FCP will provide historical context about the City Churches, their decline, destruction and reconstruction. The assessment will cover the post-Blitz interventions, the need for repairs, and evolving approaches to worship and church use in the City.
• Population and area demographics: The FCP will elaborate on the demographics of the City Deanery, including both permanent and daytime populations, as well as any notable demographics of specific areas within the Deanery. This provides valuable context for understanding the potential community impact of churches.
• Traditions: The group of 38 churches represents the breadth of Anglicanism, from conservative evangelical, traditional Catholic, through to liberal Catholic and many other forms. Tradition and form of worship often informs a different response to buildings and the importance of place.
• Budget and funding: Funding for the contractors will be confirmed by the LDF, subject to the tender process and include a proposed figure, if possible.
• Reporting: The team or a representative will be required to attend monthly PT meetings of the wider NLHF project to ensure parallel and future pieces of work are informed by the findings of the FCP.
To request the full ITT pack, please email laurie.dighton@london.anglican.org
Equal Opportunities
The Diocese of London is committed to creating and sustaining a diverse and inclusive workforce which represents our context and wider community. We are aware that those of Global Majority Heritage/United Kingdom Minority Ethnic (GMH/UKME) and disabled people are currently under-represented among our clergy and workforce, and we particularly encourage applications from those with the relevant skills and experience that will increase this representation.