Church leaders welcome new £1million listed buildings repair fund

Church leaders have welcomed an announcement that £1 million will be made available to cover the cost of repairs to listed buildings in Scotland.

Rt Rev Gordon Kennedy, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and Bishop John Keenan, President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Scotland, said the money will provide much needed support to maintain historically significant assets at the heart of community life.

The Scotland Places of Worship Fund will open this autumn to help congregations – from any faith group or denomination - recover VAT costs associated with repair works, if they worship in a listed building.

The pilot scheme was developed in response to the closure of the previous UK-wide Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme earlier this year which sent shock waves throughout faith communities.

Previously, the UK Government scheme enabled cost savings of more than £2 million in recent years for listed Scottish places of worship.

The Scottish Churches Leaders' Forum and the Scottish Churches Committee expressed disappointment to the UK Government about the lack of consultation before the closure of the scheme, and urged the Scottish Government to ensure that listed places of worship are not disproportionately affected by the decision.

Church members were urged to write to their local elected representatives to urge them to lobby the Scottish Government about the essential need to launch a substitute scheme to ease the financial pressure on congregations.

The money will be made available through the existing Historic Environment Scotland (HES) grants budget and is a standalone scheme.

Mr Kennedy said: "I'm very grateful for the support of HES and the Scottish Government in recognising the importance of places of worship, which are so often cherished by people beyond members of the congregation.

"We know how difficult it is for communities to lose their place of worship and support for repairs and maintenance will help keep more places warm, wind and watertight, and it makes it just a wee bit easier for local volunteers to care for these historic assets.

"The shared concern of diverse faith groups and the interest and support of politicians from across all parties is really appreciated, and I want to thank every person who has contacted their elected representatives about this over the past few months.

"Your voice has made a real difference."

Funding will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible applicants.

The pilot will help assess demand for the scheme in Scotland and provide evidence to inform any potential future funding arrangements.

Bishop John Keenan said: "We warmly welcome Historic Environment Scotland's announcement of the Places of Worship Fund pilot for Scotland, which recognises the vital contribution that churches and other places of worship make to Scotland's heritage and community life.

"The fund will provide much-needed support for the care and conservation of these important buildings, helping to address the loss of the previous UK-wide scheme.

"We look forward to engaging constructively with Historic Environment Scotland and the Scottish Government as the pilot progresses, and to discussions on establishing a permanent, sustainable funding arrangement for the future."