National Churches Trust issues Church Buildings Matters Manifesto for 2019 General Election

Work on St Philip & St Jacob's, Bristol

Source: NCT

The UK's 42,000 churches, chapels and meeting houses are renowned for their history, architecture and sheer variety, unmatched anywhere else in the world. However, their future is not guaranteed.

That's why the National Churches Trust is asking all the main political parties standing in the December 2019 General Election to support our five point Church Buildings Matters Manifesto.

These are a mix of administrative, legislative and financial measures, designed to be delivered over a full five-year term Parliament.

1. Establish a new Urgent Repair and Maintenance Grant Scheme.

The National Churches Trust asks that the next Government examine how best to establish a new Listed Places of Worship Urgent Repair and Maintenance Fund which would administer an annual £10 million funding scheme to run from 2020 - 2025.

2. Ensure that parish and town councils have the legal powers to fund church buildings.

The National Churches Trust asks the next Government clarifies the position on whether it is legal for parish councils to fund churches. This could be done by repealing section 8 of the 1894 Act, or by the issue of guidance to clarify that local authorities can invest in church buildings in accordance with Section 137 of the Local Government Act 1972.

Additionally, repeal or the issue of guidance should clarify that certain parish councils are also able to fund church buildings using powers contained in the Localism Act 2011.

3. Help more churches to become community hubs through the installation of toilets and kitchens.

To celebrate HM Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee in 2022, the National Churches Trust ask that the new Government institutes a one year Churches Community Facilities Grant Programme. This would be a £10 million capital-only grant scheme. Grants would be made available for the physical improvement of churches by the installation of toilets or kitchens up to a total of £20,000. If the maximum amount were to be claimed for every grant, a £10 million fund could help pay for the installation of 500 toilets or kitchens - a match-funding scheme could help pay for 1,000.

4. Stronger measures to stop heritage crime and lead theft.

1. Creating a new offence of selling scrap metal to a dealer for cash, alongside the existing offence of buying for cash.

2. Increased penalties for those who break the law.

3. Further restrictions on the methods of payment for scrap metal.

An additional measure to help prevent metal theft could be to extend the Home Office Places of Worship Protective Security Funding Scheme to include funding to deal with heritage crime security, such as the provision of roof alarms which are effective in deterring metal theft.

5. Keep church repairs free of VAT.

The National Churches Trusts asks that the Listed Places of Worship Grants Scheme funding be guaranteed for the next five years, until March 2025, to provide certainty for churches undertaking repair projects.

Read the full manifesto here: www.nationalchurchestrust.org/news/church-buildings-matter