Improvements to working of Property Department

A statement by the Chief Executive

The resignation of Mr Richard Chilcott has facilitated an opportunity to review the operation of the Property Dept of the Diocese of Chelmsford.

Richard has taken us forward in many areas and, as well as being sorry to lose him to another worthy organisation, we are extremely grateful for the work he has done for us. Largely thanks to Richard, we are in a better situation today than when he joined us in 2005, and we have taken the opportunity to review the workings of the department as it stands in 2007 and into the future.

We are blessed with a wealth of talent within the property department as a whole and everyone has played their part thus far. We have identified the fact that several people within the department are capable of more than is currently being asked of them. Far from being a criticism of their performance; this is an acknowledgement that under the direction of Richard, and by their own efforts, people have begun to realise their full potential.

Now is the right time to afford everyone within the department the opportunity to fulfil their untapped potential. With that, and the overall needs of our diocese in mind we have decided to change the structure of our Diocesan Property Dept.

Two individuals stand out for advancement. It is right that they now step up to more senior roles to serve our diocese to the full extent that they are clearly able.

As a result of the review Mr Richard Smith will step up to the new role of Senior Manager of the Property Dept. Richard has served the diocese well for many years and has an unparalleled knowledge of our property portfolio. He has performed the vast majority of our periodic inspections over many years and has provided excellent advice and assistance to many of our clergy and laity. He also brings excellent team management skills which will bring out the best in other members of what has hitherto been “the” team but will now become “his” team. Richard will henceforth be the lead in the property department and will be supported and assisted by Mr Kevin Quinlan.

Kevin will assume the role of Deputy Manager of the Property Department. He brings a wealth of knowledge of building surveying and plan preparation both by hand and by AutoCad. His technical advice and experience makes him a key member of the existing team and an obvious candidate for promotion. He also commands the respect of his peers and those to whom he provides advice and will ably support Richard in managing his team.

Richard and Kevin will present our diocese with effective leadership in property matters combined with a depth of understanding and knowledge that could not be found elsewhere. They will work with a new senior management structure that will bring greater cohesion to all of our thinking and action on property matters.

The new senior management structure will involve an executive working group consisting of the Chair of the Houses Committee (Derek Smith), the Vice Chair (The Ven David Lowman), the Chief Accountant (Margaret Essery) and the Chief Executive (Steven Webb). This executive working group will formalise some of the existing working practices that have recently been put into place in connection with the property department and reinforce them to provide full and effective support for the new management team. Additionally external professional support will be provided by an external and independent surveyor when necessary.

These changes will not only represent a new and better mode of operation but also a moderate cost saving on the previous model. This is one example of the diocese moving towards a more efficient and more cost effective mode of operation as we continually strive to provide a better service to everyone in the diocese.

Steven G Webb
Chief Executive
Diocese of Chelmsford
01245 294410
swebb@chelmsford.anglican.org