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General Assembly 2008: Do Kirk buildings have a 'green' future?

' Lead theft' rates in the North-East give cause for concern

The Church of Scotland's General Assembly (15 - 21 May 2008) will hear from the General Trustees on the topical subject of renewable energy projects in local congregations.

The Assembly will be asked to note the proposals with regard to financial assistance for renewable energy projects in ecclesiastical buildings (Deliverance 3).

The Trustees propose that where congregational heating surveys are carried out by Mr Andrew MacOwan, their heating consultant, they will be expanded to provide information on renewable energy systems generally and a more comprehensive energy audit including reference to insulation of buildings – at no cost to the congregation. A report from a professional consultant will be a requirement for all congregations applying for grant or loan assistance to install a renewable energy system, although financial assistance may be made available towards the cost of professional fees for investigatory work into the suitability of installing a system in a building.

The Trustees intend to carry out more work on renewable energy systems and report to the 2009 Assembly, but their current view is that there would tend to be more scope for incorporating one or more such systems as part of a new-build church or hall, rather than in an existing church building - especially in urban areas. (Section 2.2)

This year's Assembly report flags up concerns over the increasing incidence of the theft of lead from church roofs, especially in the North East of the country. The General Trustees suggest that, rather than trying to deal with the problem through insurance cover, it is recommended that Financial Boards take practical steps to deter thieves from operating. Congregations are also advised to consult their local police. (Section 9.2)

The Trustee's Central Fabric Fund provides financial assistance to congregations towards the cost of repairs and improvements of the buildings for which they are responsible. The General Assembly will hear that, at the end of 2007, loans totalling £11,337,066 had been committed to congregations out of a capital of £11,543,059. In addition, the Trustees also made available from the Fund grants totalling £1,262,704 during the year, of which £171,943 was allocated in the form of priority grants. (Sections 2.1.1 and 2.1.2)

The General Trustees will tell this year's Assembly that the agricultural sector continues to enjoy mixed fortunes, with the value of arable crops increasing while stock prices have remained poor. This has had an impact on Glebe tenancies, and the Trustees have given consideration to the prevailing economic climate when setting rent levels.

The sale of glebeland realised £3,085,405 in 2007 compared with £2,339,270 in 2006. Net rental income from glebes in 2007 was £329,512 compared with £331,053 in 2006. (Section 5.2)

The Church of Scotland Insurance Company Ltd is owned by the General Trustees and is a member of the General Insurance Standards Council and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. The Company will tell the Assembly that, during 2007, seventeen new fire claims were dealt with in addition to eight claims which were brought forward from previous years (of which one remains outstanding). The overall cost to the Company was £11,495. The net profit for the year ending 31 December 2007 was £1,020,654.

During the year, there were eleven cases of wilful fire-raising (the most common cause of losses over the years), three from lightning strikes and three from failure of electrical equipment. (Sections 9.3.1 and 9.3.2)

Ends.

Notes to Editors:

A full copy of the report is available on our General Assembly pages online here.

GANR/05/03/2008

Sunday 27, April 2008

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