CHURCHES and communities across Worcestershire face a devastating blow if a vital grant scheme isn’t extended.
Bishop Martin Gorick, the bishop of Dudley and the acting bishop of Worcester, is calling for the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme (LPWGS) to be extended past the current deadline of March 2025.
He has written to local MPs setting out the difference that the scheme makes to churches across Worcestershire and Dudley.
Since 2001, the LPWGS has meant that faith communities can reclaim the full amount of VAT spend on eligible repairs, alterations and additions to their listed places of worship.
In the Worcestershire diocese, this scheme supports over 200 listed church buildings and has enabled additional vital repair work on roofs and stonework, improvements to facilities such as kitchens and toilets, and allowed churches to improve the thermal performance of buildings.
At present the scheme is due to close on March 31, which would be devastating for the historic buildings, local communities and the heritage construction sector.
Bishop Martin said: “The heritage represented by church buildings is not just the Church of England’s, it is everybody’s. Although the listed churches of the Church of England amount to around four per cent of listed buildings generally, 45 per cent of Grade I listed buildings in England are parish churches.
“These buildings are loved by their communities, but – in the most part – are cared for by volunteers, diligently raising funds for the repair of the church building that has shaped the life of the village for centuries. The potential loss of the LPWS in these places – where they may claim only a few thousand pounds a year – will determine how much maintenance and repair can take place and, at worst, could be the difference between being solvent or not. The irony to this discussion is that new build works are exempt from VAT.”
He continued: “It is not just heritage that is at risk if the scheme lapses. Churches and other places of worship are home to so much social enterprise and action: Church of England churches support over 35,000 social action projects such as foodbanks, community larders and debt, drug, alcohol advice and rehabilitation groups.
“In these recent years of energy price rises, churches have acted as warm spaces, and in times of weather events act as gathering points for safety and hospitality as communities seek refuge from flooding. The National Churches Trust’s House of Good report (2021) states that every £1 invested in a church building brings £16 of benefit to communities – an investment in our churches is low spend yet high yield and benefitting to many communities across the nation.”
