THE National Churches Trust (NCT) has called on the Government to renew a scheme to aid the restoration of listed places of worship, after a new study showed public support for preserving historic churches.
The research, conducted by Historic England, suggests that members of the public would pay £6.30 to restore a historic church, compared with 40p for a modern one. Among regular churchgoers, these figures jumped to £15.40 and £3.80 respectively.
The study, which involved more than 4500 participants, used an economics survey method, discrete choice experiments, to isolate the value of church buildings themselves, over the activities that typically take place in them.
Thomas Colwill, a senior economist at Historic England, said: “This research provides clear, quantifiable evidence that historic churches matter deeply to the public, regardless of whether they attend religious services. These buildings are part of our shared national story, and people value them not just 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 these churches. Last year, the Labour Government announced that it was extending the scheme for only a single year, reducing the overall pot available and capping the amount that could 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 another piece of research showing the value of church buildings. Unique and treasured heritage can be found inside them. It’s not just local people that see this value, but it is what draws millions of visitors to the UK, too.
“There is a huge gap here in what the nation supports and how it is funded. The future of church buildings is the biggest heritage crisis facing the UK. Almost 1000 churches in England alone are considered at risk and need repairs. But funding them falls on the shoulders of local people — an entirely unsustainable arrangement.”
She warned that, unless the Government renewed the scheme, some of the best-loved churches in Britain could be gone for ever. “This year, the UK Government slashed its only consistent form of funding for church buildings, meaning that repairs now cost almost 20 per cent more,” she said. “There is no replacing these buildings. Once they’re gone, they’re gone. We are at serious risk of losing them for good if urgent action is not taken soon.
“The Government must permanently renew the Listed Places of Worship Grants Scheme and remove its cap. Funding these buildings makes not just economic sense, but has public support, too, as they want to see these buildings saved for today and for future generations.’’