THE National Churches Trust (NCT) has called on the Government to renew a scheme to assist the restoration of listed places of worship, after a latest study showed public support for preserving historic churches.
The research, conducted by Historic England, suggests that members of the general public would pay £6.30 to revive a historic church, compared with 40p for a contemporary one. Among regular churchgoers, these figures jumped to £15.40 and £3.80 respectively.
The study, which involved greater than 4500 participants, used an economics survey method, discrete selection experiments, to isolate the worth of church buildings themselves, over the activities that typically happen in them.
Thomas Colwill, a senior economist at Historic England, said: “This research provides clear, quantifiable evidence that historic churches matter deeply to the general public, no matter whether or not they attend religious services. These buildings are a part of our shared national story, and folks value them not only as places of worship, but as enduring landmarks that connect us to the past.”
For nearly 25 years, historic churches have had access to the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, introduced by in 2001 by the then Chancellor, Gordon Brown. It allows VAT to be claimed back on repairs to those churches. Last 12 months, the Labour Government announced that it was extending the scheme for less than a single 12 months, reducing the general pot available and capping the quantity that may very well be claimed per church. This put several large projects into the red (News, 25 October 2024).
The NCT’s chief executive, Claire Walker, said: “It is great to see one other piece of research showing the worth of church buildings. Unique and treasured heritage might be found inside them. It’s not only local those who see this value, but it surely is what draws tens of millions of tourists to the UK, too.
“There is a big gap here in what the nation supports and the way it’s funded. The way forward for church buildings is the most important heritage crisis facing the UK. Almost 1000 churches in England alone are considered in danger and want repairs. But funding them falls on the shoulders of local people — a completely unsustainable arrangement.”
She warned that, unless the Government renewed the scheme, a number of the best-loved churches in Britain may very well be gone for ever. “This 12 months, the UK Government slashed its only consistent type of funding for church buildings, meaning that repairs now cost almost 20 per cent more,” she said. “There isn’t any replacing these buildings. Once they’re gone, they’re gone. We are at serious risk of losing them for good if urgent motion isn’t taken soon.
“The Government must permanently renew the Listed Places of Worship Grants Scheme and take away its cap. Funding these buildings makes not only economic sense, but has public support, too, as they need to see these buildings saved for today and for future generations.’’
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