I am delighted that the Labour Government have confirmed that they will extend the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, providing £23 million so that thousands of historical buildings, including churches, synagogues, mosques and temples, can carry out restoration work.
Watch or read my Parliamentary speech below on the key issue.
South West Norfolk is home to 138 places of worship, all unique in character and special to the local community, such as Wiggenhall St. Germans Church just outside King’s Lynn, which is a 13th century Grade I listed church.
The English poet and writer, John Betjemen, spoke of how “Norfolk would not be Norfolk without a church tower on the horizon or round a corner up a lane. We cannot spare a single Norfolk church. When a church has been pulled down the country seems empty or is like a necklace with a jewel missing.”
I cannot come up with words as poetic as John Betjemen but I can tell you that the churches in my constituency are treasured and in many cases they are of an historic nature. We must make sure that they are preserved for generations to come, as previous generations have done so for us.
Nearly half of all Grade I buildings in England are churches. These buildings are largely run by volunteers who have to raise the funds needed for repairs. The ability to reclaim the VAT on these works makes an enormous difference, particularly at a time when costs of all building work have increased substantially.
Mr/Madam Chairman in rural constituencies like South West Norfolk, these buildings are often more than a place of worship. They can be the very lifeblood of a local community, providing services to people who would otherwise miss out on.
One Church in South West Norfolk which I think exemplifies this is St Mary the Virgin in Feltwell.
I was fortunate enough to visit St Mary the Virgin in 2024 and I was deeply impressed by the work that they carry out to support their local community in Feltwell, this includes the Food Pantry, which sees a group of local volunteers set up a small shop of greatly reduced priced essentials to help local villagers with buying essentials, they also provide crisis packages free of charge to those in need.
This initiative is run alongside their regular coffee mornings and their community group which provides free access to computers and the internet, a provision which sadly too many in rural communities do not have access to.
I am grateful to Sue Garland, and the other volunteers for the work they do in Feltwell. It was a joy to see the work they do preserving the building but importantly giving it life and purpose.
Mr. Chairman, these provisions are crucial and highlight what our local places of worship provide to their communities. That is why I believe it is vital that we do all we can to support the maintenance of places of worship and I would welcome the Minister to clarify whether the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme will be renewed for another year.
The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme was first introduced under a Labour Government and since its establishment in 2001, the Scheme has paid out £317m and has assisted over 13,000 buildings.
St Mary’s the Virgin which I mentioned earlier is just one of 20 churches in South West Norfolk which has benefited from the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme between August 2022 and December 2023, with funding of nearly £35,000 provided shared between the churches.
However, Churches such as Wiggenhall St German’s which is on the Heritage at Risk register is in desperate need of repair, and I fear without this scheme continuing, the costs may be too high, and an 800-year-old church may fall into disrepair. That is why I urge the Minister to consider what can be done to protect our most precious historic places of worship.
