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This is a text-only version of an article first published on Wednesday, 16 October 2013. Information shown on this page may no longer be current.
Read Bishop John's letter to the diocese about the new Archdeaconry of Dorchester."Following a meeting of the Pastoral Committee of the Church Commissioners last week I have now received a copy of their decision that gives permission for this to go ahead as planned."However those who objected to the proposal can appeal against it to the Privy Council.
They will be receiving letters in the next few days from the Church Commissioners giving them the detail of the decision and they then have four weeks in which to indicate that they wish to appeal - and another four weeks in which to lodge their objections.
"Those who were at the Commissioners were told both that it is extremely rare for such an appeal to be made, and also that the Privy Council will be more interested in questions to do with the process (e.g. whether all the consultations were done correctly) rather than the principle of the scheme."
Having said that, we cannot proceed with appointing the new Archdeacon until these last hurdles have been cleared, as any appeal that was permitted to go forward would delay thing by many months."Assuming, however, that things now proceed smoothly, then we will be in a position to make the appointment of the new Archdeacon of Dorchester early in the New Year and to realign the Episcopal Areas of the Bishop of Reading and Dorchester accordingly."Read the decision on the Archdeaconry of Dorchester by the Pastoral Committee.