Appointment of a Minster Architect APPLICATION INFORMATION

Transcription

1 Appointment of a Minster Architect APPLICATION INFORMATION 1

2 Contents: Overview 3 The History of the Minster 4 The Surveyor to the Minster and Minster Craftsmen 4 Minster Architect Principal Duties 5 Development Programme 6 Candidate specification 7 Remuneration 7 Application process 8 2

3 Overview We wish to appoint an Architect for the Minster Church of St. John and St. Martin, Beverley. Though it is a parish church Beverley Minster is of cathedral size and significance, and is part of the Greater Churches Network. We wish to follow a process similar to the appointment of a cathedral architect, as set out in the Care of Cathedrals Measure 1999 and the Care of Cathedrals (Amendment) Measure The responsibility for the appointment of the Minster Architect is delegated to the Beverley Minster Old Fund by the Incumbent, Churchwardens and Parochial Church Council of Beverley Minster ( The PCC ). In 1579 Queen Elizabeth I made an endowment for the maintenance of the Minster Church of Beverley known as Queen Elizabeth s Church Endowment which subsequently became known as Old Minster Fund. The object of the Charity is to repair, restore and maintain the fabric of Beverley Minster. The PCC and the Old Fund have a Memorandum of Understanding, renewed annually, giving the Old Fund day to day responsibility for the maintenance of the fabric. With the PCC as the client, and oversight thus delegated to the Old Fund, the Minster Architect will be the Inspecting Architect as required by the Care of Churches and Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Measure 1991, and will need to be included on the Diocesan Advisory Committee s list of approved architects. As the Old Fund s professional adviser, the Minster Architect has a statutory role in relation to all matters concerning the fabric of the Minster and has an overview of all matters which affect the structure, contents, furnishings and setting of the Minster and its precinct. The Architect will have overall responsibility for advising on all aspects of the fabric, including aesthetic issues, and will be the lead consultant for any major project of repair, conservation or development. They will be responsible for overseeing all major repair and conservation works to the Minster and precinct and for any maintenance work which would materially affect or permanently alter the fabric, together with all works identified by the Development Board as part of the Development Project. Beverley Minster is as a place of worship and everything done within the building is in some way connected to the glory of God and the maintenance of daily worship. The funding for the maintenance of the fabric of the Minster is provided by the Beverley Minster Old Fund from the income from investments which are currently in excess of 5m. The work which is the responsibility of the PCC is funded from the day to day income of the church, and from the PCC s historic reserves. The appointment will be made for a renewable five-year term subject to the terms set out below in the role description and details of remuneration. The appointment will be probationary for a period of 12 months. 3

4 The History of the Minster A church has stood on the site since the 8 th century when Bishop John of York founded a monastery at a place known as Inderawuda. When he retired from his bishopric he came to this monastery where, according to St. Bede He wished to finish his life in a manner pleasing to God. All that remains from that time is the stone chair in the Sanctuary of the present building. Tradition asserts that King Athelstan, in 937, on his way north to fight the Scots came to visit the tomb of Bishop John to ask for his prayers. The battle was won, and in thanksgiving for his victory, Athelstan is said to have created the Minster, gave Beverley the right of sanctuary, and gave certain lands to the Minster s Canons. The importance of the Minster grew and throughout the medieval period kings had a respect for John of Beverley and the town in which his remains lay. In the early thirteenth century a tower collapse led to the beginning of the construction of the present building. All that remains of the Norman church are the re-use of stone blocks in the East End and the Norman font. Beverley s great wealth ensured that the Minster was built on the grand scale. It survived the Reformation partly due to its status as a parish church and through the initiative of townspeople, who purchased the building, financing it by selling the Chapter House. With the loss of pilgrims and also the wool trade there was little money available for the repair of the church. By the early 18th century the Minster was in a poor state of repair. Money was raised by local townspeople and Nicholas Hawksmoor was involved in a major restoration, some of whose elements survived further nineteenth century restoration work under George Gilbert Scott. Much of the Minster s statuary was created during the incumbency of Canon Nolloth, from New windows were installed, and new bells hung. Since that time the Old Fund has ensured that the Minster is in good repair and in the early twenty first century the Friends of the Minster have contributed new stained glass and works of art. A major period of restoration and development now beckons, as a new lead roof is required, together with a new lighting system, major restoration to stained glass, and new developments in accessibility and interpretation. The Surveyor to the Minster and the Minster Craftsmen The Trustees appoint a Surveyor to the Minster to undertake the management of the works carried out at the Minster in conjunction with the Minster s Architect. The appointment documents state: The Surveyor shall be authorised by the Minster s Architect to carry out inspections of the work on behalf of the Minster s Architect. Prior to the end of the Old Fund s financial year the Surveyor shall prepare a detailed budget indicating the works to be undertaken to the fabric of the Church during the following year, together with an estimate of the cost thereof and whether the works require the granting of a Faculty. There is a current post holder, and the Minster Architect will be involved in any new appointment. The Beverley Minster Old Fund employs two craftsmen, one fulltime and one part time. We also engage the services of a dedicated stonemason to undertake maintenance work on the Minster. These men work under the direction of the Surveyor to the Minster. 4

5 Minster Architect Principal Duties Quinquennial inspection report The Minster Architect is required, within six months of appointment, to submit a full and detailed Quinquennial Inspection Report of the Minster and its precincts. Subsequent Inspection Reports are required every five years from the date of the first Report. Candidates who are called to interview will be expected to provide details of their proposed approach and methodology for undertaking this work. Having completed the Quinquennial Inspection Report, the Minster Architect is required to set out a forward plan of maintenance, repairs and improvement works to the Minster and its precinct and, in conjunction with the Surveyor to the Minster, costings over a five-year period and an indication of their priority over agreed timescales. These schedules will be discussed and reviewed by the Beverley Minster Old Fund on an ongoing basis. Annual Report Under the Inspection of Churches Measure 1955 (as amended 1995), the Minster Architect, in conjunction with the Surveyor to the Minster, is required to make an annual report to the Beverley Minster Old Fund and the Parochial Church Council containing a summary of any works to the Minster and precincts carried out in the previous year and advice on those works for which a permanent record should be kept; an account of progress made in implementing the recommendations in the Quinquennial Inspection Reports; and advice on any other matters which he or she considers relevant to the care and conservation of the Minster. The architect will be required to attend meetings of Beverley Minster Old Fund or Parochial Church Council when requested to do so. Maintenance and repairs The Minster Architect will manage complex fabric projects efficiently and effectively including overseeing the work of other contractors and professionals engaged by the Beverley Minster Old Fund or the Minster Architect for particular projects. He or she will identify repair projects that could be the subject of applications to grant funding bodies and compile all necessary information, drawings and project plans for submission to those bodies as requested by the Beverley Minster Old Fund. It is essential that best value is achieved for the Minster through good quality competitive tendering for works and those projects are managed on time and within agreed budgets. He or she should explore, recommend and implement environmentally sustainable solutions whenever possible to meet fabric maintenance requirements. The Minster Architect should provide a brief for any programme of repair or maintenance works, including a statement of the aims and objectives of the work, and vet any Specification or Project Design prepared by contractors and recommend to the Beverley Minster Old Fund its approval or otherwise. Relationships The relationship between the Minster Architect, Surveyor to the Minster, Vicar and Beverley Minster Old Fund will be critical in ensuring a successful working partnership. The Minster Architect reports directly to the Beverley Minster Old Fund. 5

6 Development Programme The Parochial Church Council, Beverley Minster Old Fund and the Friends of Beverley Minster are in the process of compiling a project plan for restoration and development of the Minster building. This project will be the subject of a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund, in partnership with St Mary s Beverley, who face similar multi-million pound challenges. The Minster s part of the project is to include: securing the high roofs by re-leading them, and opening up the roof spaces to even more visitors; restoring and securing the great windows at the east and west ends, enabling their interpretation and understanding installing a new lighting scheme for the whole building, enabling visitors to see new aspects of the building, enhancing events and enabling worship improving accessibility to the Minster by redesigning the main entrance improving visitor facilities by redesigning ancillary buildings, including the toilets consulting on possibilities for a new heating system, improving the Minster s carbon footprint. opening up the Minster for greater use by visitors and educational groups, facilitating a wide range of understandings and interpretations This work is to be undertaken over the next 10 years. The Minster Architect will be involved all aspects of the identified works in conjunction with all other maintenance and repairs. 6

7 Candidate specification The successful applicant will be a registered architect or a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, who is qualified as a chartered building surveyor with an understanding and enthusiasm for complex historic and ecclesiastical buildings. An experienced and knowledgeable professional possessing qualifications and expertise in matters relating to the conservation of historic buildings ideally with a post-graduate qualification in conservation, he or she will be accredited as a conservation professional by RIBA, the RICS, or AABC. Experience of church repairs and re-orderings and an understanding of the liturgy and its impact on the Minster fabric together with proven design skills and the ability to make complex design decisions will be essential. Candidates should be good communicators both written and orally, able to present plans and drawings clearly and with authority to the Beverley Minster Old Fund and to other bodies such as English Heritage, the Diocesan Advisory Committee, the local planning authority and other such organisations. He or she will have an appreciation of the financial pressures facing the Minster when considering or proposing repairs and new work. He or she should have good aesthetic judgement, able to demonstrate skill in combining an attention to detail in maintenance and conservation with the insight and courage to enhance the fabric and fittings of the Minster through new work. The successful applicant will be an efficient and thoughtful manager of complex projects able to work collaboratively with other professional and Minster staff. He or she will have experience of working within tight budget constraints and able to deliver complex projects on time and within agreed budgets. It is very important that the Minster Architect is able to demonstrate an understanding of and sympathy with the aims and objectives of Beverley Minster. While not essential, it would be desirable that the successful applicant has previous experience of working with English cathedrals and Greater Churches Network and with an understanding of their management and funding structures and the opportunities and limitations inherent in them. However, candidates with wide experience of other significant historic buildings are also encouraged to apply. Remuneration All work will be provided on an agreed time charge basis. 7

8 Application process Stage One Candidates should submit their CV to the Chairman of the Beverley Minster Old Fund by Thursday 18th December From those candidates, a long list will be compiled. Stage Two Candidates selected will be asked to submit a full statement setting out the following: their reason for applying; a short statement on the candidate s philosophical approach to: the care and conservation of historic buildings; the task of the Minster Architect; the Quinquennial Inspection and Report. a statement on their proposed fee structure in connection with preparation of the Quinquennial Inspection; a short selection of illustrative examples of related projects carried out previously; three referees who will collectively be able to comment on professional skills, working relationships and personal qualities. Candidates reaching Stage Two will be provided with a complete copy of the latest Quinquennial Inspection Report, and details of the Development Programme Wish List. Candidates are encouraged to visit the Minster prior to submitting their application statement and it should be in the company of the Surveyor to the Minster. Stage Three From the long list, short-listed candidates will be invited to a formal interview. A presentation on a pre-determined topic will be required together with details of how the candidate would prepare for the Quinquennial Inspection along with any thoughts on how they would fulfil the requirements of the post. The appointments panel will consist of: The Vicar, Reverend Jeremy Fletcher The Chairman of the Beverley Minster Old Fund, Martin Needler The Surveyor to the Minster, John English A member of the Old Fund Finance Committee A Churchwarden, Mr Peter Mounstephen A member of the Minster Congregation, Mr Stephen George and an external consultant, Mr Richard Carr-Archer. Interviews will take place on 5 th or 6 th March Address for applications: Martin Needler Esq. BEM FRICS Chairman Beverley Minster Old Fund Beverley Minster Parish Centre 38 Highgate Beverley HU17 0DN Tel: