Hundreds of British churches could close within five years as the cost of maintaining heritage buildings becomes unsustainable, a conference at the V&A in London has heard. The warning comes from a National Churches Trust survey, which found that one in 20 churches expect to cease functioning as places of worship by 2030, with rural areas most affected.
The survey of more than 3,600 churches across the UK revealed that two in five have roofs at risk or in urgent need of repair, and nearly one in three are using reserves to cover basic costs. One in five reported that their building has deteriorated over the past five years. The Church of England faces a £1bn repair backlog and an annual maintenance bill of £150m.
Earlier this year, the government imposed VAT on repairs to places of worship costing over £25,000, adding further financial strain. Historian Alice Loxton described churches as the “crown jewels of our heritage” and warned of “cultural vandalism” through their “quiet decay”. V&A director Tristram Hunt called keeping churches open “one of the most important heritage challenges we face”.
National Churches Trust chair Sir Philip Rutnam urged the government to establish a £50m annual capital fund to prevent historical places of worship from falling into disrepair, stating that “local communities shouldn’t have to struggle by themselves”. He added: “Without intervention, the risks are enormous – we will lose more and more of these buildings and all they embody for good.”
The survey highlighted the community role of churches: three-quarters host community groups, over half run food banks, a third offer mental health support, and one in five provide debt advice. Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell said the Church of England “can and must do more financially” but stressed that government support is also needed to protect these “places of community”.
