The first ever sample survey of England’s 14,500 listed places of worship, just published by English Heritage, suggests that approximately 90 per cent are in good or fair condition but 10 per cent are potentially in need of urgent major repairs.
The survey also revealed that congregations are increasingly worried about getting funding to make repairs and are concerned at the implications of looking after a listed building and getting permission to make major changes.
EH has produced a guide, DVD and a dedicated website to provide advice on what congregations can do.
Impact of grants
Research into the impact of the £25 million a year Repair Grants for Places of Worship (RGPW) scheme run jointly by English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund reveals that 76% of congregations would not have been able to complete their repair and maintenance project at all without a grant. This means that over the last eight years, some 1,190 of England’s most important places of worship would have become seriously at risk and 30% state that they would have closed, 17% indefinitely. This equates to up to 266 places of worship which could have been permanently closed. For 73% of places of worship, the RGPOW makes up more than 50% of the total cost of their repairs.
Research into the impact of the approximate £12 million a year Listed Places of Worship Scheme for England (LPWS) currently financed by the Treasury, reveals that although it only provides grants of 17.5% of the total cost, equivalent to the VAT, 1 in 5 recipients said they would not have been able to proceed without it. 86% of recipients polled said that their grant halted the decline of the building and 76% said it prevented irreversible damage.
Recipients of both schemes said grants helped them plan a more certain future for their place of worship avoiding more costly repairs later on. Grants helped them to increase numbers of visitors and broaden community use. Grants also impact on the local economy as the research found that 90% of recipients exclusively used local businesses to undertake repairs.
Others
The Church of England has detailed advice, much of which is relevant to any place of worship. The National Churches Trust has appointed a National Support Officer, part-funded by English Heritage, to provide advice and information for Friends Groups on the telephone and on their website. The Churches Conservation Trust’s Regeneration Task Force is helping prevent vulnerable churches from closing, English Heritage is continuing to offer part-funded Support Officers delivering expert advice at local level and the The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, using funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and English Heritage, is running free Faith in Maintenance training courses for volunteers.
Planning Portal News: LINK
English Heritage News: LINK
English Heritage, Caring for Places of Worship: LINK
Download key findings on repair grants HERE
Download key findings on LPOWS HERE
