At a Westminster Hall debate today – Wednesday 22 January – Chris Bryant MP, the Minister for Media, Tourism and Creative Industries, made an announcement on the future of the Listed Places of Worship Grants Scheme.
The UK Government has decided:
- The Listed Places of Worship Grants Scheme will be renewed for one year – until 2026,
- A spending cap will now apply. There is now a limit of £25,000 that can be claimed through the scheme,
- The overall budget of the scheme has been reduced to £23 million.
The National Churches Trust responds
“We are pleased that the scheme has been extended but are very concerned that this is only for one year, a spending cap has been introduced, and the overall budget has been cut for the scheme," says Sir Philip Rutnam, Chair of the National Churches Trust.
“This simply does not provide enough certainty or support for places of worship, who need more time to plan and deliver repairs, which typically take longer than a year.
“The scheme offers tremendous value for money. For every £1 invested in a church building, £16 of social good is generated. We strongly believe that the scheme should be made permanent – it's vital to help these buildings stay open, serving local people, and it’s the poorest and most isolated who will suffer most if these buildings are forced to close.”
“We will continue to work with the Government to ensure the value of these buildings is understood.”
What does this mean for churches?
We recognise that this continues to make it difficult for churches, chapels and meeting houses across the country to plan repairs to their buildings.
Repair costs fall entirely to local congregations – mainly volunteers – to fund and can take multiple years to fundraise for before the project even begins. The decision not to renew the scheme for another three years, combined with the failure to make it permanent will inevitably mean that church buildings are cautious about planning any repair work. Local people cannot afford to pay an extra 20 per cent of costs.
There are already 969 places of worship on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register, with more than 60 per cent of MPs in England having a place a risk in their constituency. With the effects of the climate crisis – heavier and more severe rains and winds – having a devastating impact on church buildings, there is no time to waste. We could see more churches close, and more communities suffer.
How you made a difference in this debate
What was clear from the Westminster Hall debate was just how many people and churches had contacted their MPs about the Listed Places of Worship Grants Scheme.
Thank you for doing this; it made a significant difference. Not only did it encourage a variety of MPs from different parties to attend, but it also meant that MPs highlighted many examples of churches in their own constituencies in their speeches.
Our research was quoted by MPs during the debate, as they made the case for why the scheme should be renewed and to show the importance of church buildings in communities today.
Next steps
We are not going anywhere. As the leading UK church heritage charity, we will be doing all we can to urge the Government to make this scheme permanent and reverse the cuts and the budget cap.