Section 31: Ecclesiastical property.

Leasehold Reform Act 1967 · 1967 c.88

Part I: Enfranchisement and Extension of Long Leaseholds

31(1)

The provisions of this section shall have effect as regards the operation of this Part of this Act on tenancies (including subtenancies) of ecclesiastical property, that is to say, property belonging to the Chapter of a cathedral or belonging to a diocesan board of finance as diocesan glebe land; and in this section "ecclesiastical landlord" means the Chapter or diocesan board of finance having an interest as landlord in ecclesiastical property.

31(2)

In relation to an interest of an ecclesiastical landlord, the consent of the Church Commissioners shall be required to sanction—

(a) the provisions to be contained in a conveyance in accordance with section 10 above, or in a lease granting a new tenancy under section 14, and the price or rent payable, except as regards matters determined by the court a leasehold valuation tribunal , the First-tier Tribunal or the Upper Tribunal ;

(b) any exercise of the ecclesiastical landlord's rights under section 17 above, except as aforesaid, and any agreement for the payment of compensation to a tenant in accordance with that section without an application thereunder;

(c) any grant of a tenancy in satisfaction of the right to an extended lease under this Part of this Act;

provided that the consent of the Church Commissioners shall only be required if their consent would be required if the transaction were carried out under ... Part 2 of the Church Property Measure 2018 or the Cathedrals Measure 2021.

31(3)

Where the ecclesiastical property forms part of the endowment of a cathedral church, any sum received by the Chapter by way of the price payable for the property under section 9 above, or by way of compensation under any provision of this Part of this Act providing for compensation to be recovered by or awarded to a landlord, shall be treated as part of that endowment; and the powers conferred by section 24 of the Cathedrals Measure 2021 in relation to the investment in the acquisition of land of moneys forming part of the endowment of a cathedral church shall extend to the application of any such moneys in the payment of compensation in accordance with section 17 above (whether possession is obtained under that section or without an application thereunder).

31(4)

In the case of ecclesiastical property belonging to a diocesan board of finance—

(a) no consent or concurrence other than that of the Church Commissioners under subsection (2) above shall be required to a disposition under this Part of this Act of the interest of the diocesan board of finance (including a grant of a tenancy in satisfaction of the right to an extended lease);

(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(c) any sum receivable by the diocesan board of finance by way of the price payable for the property under section 9 above, or of any such compensation as is mentioned in subsection (3) above, shall be paid to board to be applied for purposes for which the proceeds of a sale by agreement of the property would be applicable under any enactment or Measure authorising such a sale or disposing of the proceeds of such a sale, and any sum required for the payment of compensation as mentioned in subsection (3) above may be paid by board on behalf of the incumbent out of any moneys in its hands;

(d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

31(5)

In this section—

  • "diocesan board of finance" has the same meaning as "DBF" in the Church Property Measure 2018;

  • "diocesan glebe land" has the same meaning as in that Measure.

About this text

This legislation text comes from legislation.gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Reuse reviewed 21 August 2026 under Open Government Licence v3.0.