Parochial Church Council
Membership of the Parochial Church Council is open to any adult resident of the parish. The PCC's primary responsibilities are to maintain the Church, appoint Churchwardens and organise services in conjunction with the Vicar. The appointed Treasurer keeps the accounts and encourages fund-raising events to offset the cost of maintaining the fabric of the Church and the Parish contribution to the diocese. PCC membership is usually about 10 people and formal meetings are held at least twice a year.
The PCC sends a representative to the Deanery Synod to co-ordinate with other Parishes and is well-supported by unpaid volunteers and the generosity of local residents who give up their time - and sometimes their gardens - to host events.
Needless to say the cost of maintaining a historic Church gets more expensive year by year so the PCC is keen to encourage greater useage to defer costs. Hoggeston is a wonderful venue for a traditional English country wedding and we can offer garden space for a marquee, a barn for dances and off-street parking. Please contact the PCC for more details.
We share our vicar with the so-called 'Schorne team' of twelve local churches across eight other parishes, For details go to www.schorneteam.co.uk Hoggeston Church holds regular services and a timetable is shown on the Schorne website and our 'calendar of events' but please double-check on both.
Because of the small number of residents Hoggeston does not have the elected Parish Council seen in more sizeable Parishes. The PCC does though make representations to Aylesbury Vale District Council if a planning application is under consideration or if the County Council were ever proposed to fix the potholes in our road - which would be nice.
Jan.2014: Churchyard Wall Repairs
In December last year a short section of retaining wall surrounding the Churchyard decided to collapse into the road. Fortunately no-one was injured but because the cause was 'fair wear and tear' rather than vehicle impact it seems unlikely the costs of repair will be borne by the Church insurers. We are obtaining a 'faculty' (permission to undertake repairs) from the Diocese and seeking quotes to effect repairs as soon as the weather improves.
A certain amount of arm-twisting was applied to the congregation at the Christmas Carol service but we're still likely to have a shortfall of £1,000 or so on the costs so if you have any bright ideas to reduce this further please contact the PCC.
Nov.2013: Chancel Repair Liability
In 2013 the Hoggeston PCC (Parochial Church Council) completed it's investigations into whether any properties within the parish are subject to so-called 'Chancel Repair Liability'. This legal oddity dates back many years to the time when tithes and the like were still commonplace and payable to Church authorities to offset the cost of providing Clergy and maintaining the building.
In recent years this potential liability has sometimes been overlooked by property owners (particularly those who purchase historic houses) and the Church Commissioners have been keen to determine who is - and who is NOT - liable after several cases where homeowners went to court to contest their liability.
After diligent investigations at the Land Registry and through the records of the Church Commissioners the PCC has determined that NO liability attaches to any properties within the parish and has formally notified the Diocese of it's findings.
Village Facts
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Interesting background to the village can be read here