The Church of England has welcomed a call by MPs for the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme (LPWGS) to be made permanent and for a cap to be lifted on claims.
In January the Government announced a one-year extension of the scheme, which gives grants covering the VAT on repairs of more than a £1,000 for listed places of worship, but it reduced the total amount of money available.
The future of the scheme has been raised in cross party debates in Parliament, with evidence presented that more than 200 churches, including some Cathedrals, are already facing big cash shortfalls on repair bills as a result of the £25,000 cap.
Rev Paula Griffiths, who is a former Director for Cathedral and Church Buildings, gave evidence last week at an inquiry into protecting built heritage. She said the scheme had been “a lifeline for places of worship and the hard-working volunteers and clergy who care for historic church buildings urgently need the confidence of ongoing, reliable sources of funding.
"The current uncertainty around the LPWGS is putting church communities under real pressure, requiring additional fundraising to pay tax or scaling back schemes for essential repairs. We know that it saves money in the long run to keep up maintenance and continuing VAT relief will help enable those works.”
The Chair of the Culture Media and Sport Select Committee, Dame Caroline Dinenage has now written to the Heritage Minister Baroness Twycross saying the scheme was initially introduced “in recognition of the social work of churches and their important contribution to our country’s heritage”.
“These features still stand: 45 per cent of the UK’s Grade I buildings are owned by the Church of England and churches remain communal spaces for social and charitable activities,” she said.
She added that funding that is only ever guaranteed for a few years at a time is “not fit” for a sector reliant on projects that take five years to prepare and fundraise for.
“The scheme is welcome recognition of the role of churches and their contribution to our heritage, but without certainty over its future many repair and refurbishment projects are at risk of never getting off the ground,” Dame Caroline said.
“The Government needs to commit to the scheme by making it a permanent source of support and by lifting the cap, so historic places of worship can concentrate on the important work they do in our communities.”
Welcoming the letter from the Committee, Rev Griffiths said: "We are delighted and grateful that the Culture Media and Sport Select Committee has acted so swiftly to support the Listed Places of Worship Grant scheme and recognise its huge importance in the crucial maintenance of historic cathedral and church buildings.”
The government says that nearly £350m has been awarded under the scheme to date. Listed places of worship of any size or faith within the UK can apply to the scheme for support with repairs and renovations until the end of March 2026.