The Ecclesiastical Property (Exceptions from Requirement for Consent to Dealings) Order 2026

The order states that it updates limits established in the 2015 Order to reflect contemporary financial requirements for ecclesiastical property dealings.

Proponents within the Archbishops’ Council and the General Synod argue that increasing the threshold reduces administrative burdens on parochial church councils by exempting more mid-value transactions from the need for formal diocesan board of finance consent.

The legislation maintains the existing link between transaction limits and a council's annual unrestricted income, ensuring that the exemption remains proportional to a local church’s financial capacity.

Legal scholars might question whether the near 60% increase in the threshold significantly reduces oversight from diocesan boards of finance, potentially increasing the risk of mismanagement of ecclesiastical assets at the local level.

Critics may argue that because the exemption depends on the "most recent accounts," variations in accounting quality among diferentes parochial church councils could lead to ambiguity in applying the threshold.

Affected agencies or individual parishes might view the single fixed secondary limit as inflexible across diverse economic regions where property values vary significantly.