THE Listed Places of Worship Grant (LPWG) Scheme has been extended for one year only and capped at £23 million. Individual places of worship are eligible for a maximum of £25,000.
Speaking during a Westminster Hall debate on Wednesday, the Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism, Sir Chris Bryant, spoke of a “very tough” financial situation in his department, with “a lot of competing demands.”
After almost 90 minutes of contributions from MPs describing the needs of parish churches and cathedrals in their constituencies, including projects that could not go ahead without the scheme, he said: “By tradition, a cathedral is not symmetrical because only God is perfect. I am sure this is not perfection for whatever everybody would want, but I hope it is at least acceptable.”
The scheme, launched in 2001 and extended by every ensuing government (News, 11 February 2022) provides grants covering the VAT on repairs costing more than £1000 to listed buildings used as places of worship. It was due to expire at the end of March. A DCMS press release said that, on the basis of previous scheme data, 94 per cent of claims were under £25,000, while Sir Chris told MPs that more than 70 per cent were under £5000. The funding was extended to £42 million a year in 2012, although only £29 million was claimed last year, he said.
The Department reported last year that almost 5000 churches had received a grant. The press release identified eight recipients who had received between £67,000 and £600,000.
The debate was tabled by Bradley Thomas, the Conservative MP for Bromsgrove, who suggested that it would be a “travesty . . . if, for the sake of £30 million to the Exchequer, the Government exacerbates the decay of our historic, spiritual, and social heritage, with no upside”. The loss of the scheme “could at worst be the difference between being solvent or not and the long-term preservation of these buildings”.
Mr Thomas urged the Government to consider making the scheme permanent rather than offer a “temporary reprieve” — a plea echoed by the Shadow Culture Minister, Saqib Bhatti. Sir Geoffrey Cox, the Conservative MP for Torridge and Tavistock, warned that the scheme itself would not ensure the survival of small parish churches, and urged the Government to “give thought to what happens to these wonderful places”, which were at risk of closure.
Tessa Munt, the Liberal Democrat spokeswoman, the MP for Wells and Mendip Hills, relayed how one volunteer described writing “multiple lengthy applications for grants with usually little to show in return”. The LPGW scheme, in its accessibility, “takes the edge off all of the effort”.
On Wednesday, Sir Philip Rutnam, chair of the National Churches Trust, said that the charity was “deeply concerned” by the one-year extension, cap, and reduction in the budget: “This simply does not provide enough certainty or support to churches, who need more time to plan and deliver repairs. . .
“We strongly believe that the scheme should be made permanent: it is 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.”
Fund-raising for repairs could take “multiple years”, the Trust said. The announcement would leave those responsible for church buildings “cautious about planning any repair work. Local people cannot afford to pay an extra 20 per cent of costs.”
The extension of the LWPG scheme was welcomed by the joint lead bishops for church buildings, the Bishop of Bristol, the Rt Revd Viv Faull, and the Bishop of Ramsbury, Dr Andrew Rumsey.
“We are pleased that this will bring temporary relief to many small scale projects already under way or anticipated in the near future, though the capping of the scheme will pose challenges to larger projects,” they said in a statement. “We look forward to continued close working with the faith and charity buildings sector, and the Government, towards more secure funding in the long term for these buildings that are so crucial to their communities.”
The Second Church Estates Commissioner, Marsha de Cordova MP, also welcomed the announcement. “Churches up and down the country are a cornerstone of their communities, providing social support alongside spiritual leadership,” she said. “I welcome the Government’s announcement to extend the Listed Places of Worship grant scheme for a further 12 months, having listened to colleagues across all sides of the House of Commons.
“Going forward, it is vital that a long-term solution is reached for some of the country’s most important community buildings and that this scheme is made permanent.”
The church operations director at Ecclesiastical, Helen Richards, said that the extension was welcome, but “there will undoubtedly be concerns within the Church about the reduction in funding available — as well as the decision to only extend for a year”.
She continued: “This funding is vital for churches, many of them requiring ongoing repairs to safeguard their future. While we appreciate the Government has tough decisions to make, we would encourage them to further help churches protect our wonderful heritage by extending this vital grant scheme beyond 2026. As the leading insurer of churches in the UK, we see first-hand the huge amount of upkeep required to maintain our listed places of worship, which is why the scheme was created in the first place.
“By cutting the funding and capping the funds available to individual churches and cathedrals, there is a risk to the future of not only buildings, but also the people who depend on them. Churches are a big part of the communities they serve and to put these wonderful, historic buildings at risk could be devastating.”
