Churches fear tax changes put maintenance at risk

Listed churches could fall into a state of disrepair after the government scrapped a vital grant, those working to maintain their parish churches have warned.

The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, which allowed VAT to be recovered on repairs, closed at the end of March, meaning churches now have to pay the standard 20% tax.

Martin Spence, who is fundraising to fix a church spire in Porlock, Somerset, said the team are concerned about finishing the project due to increases in costs.

A new government's Places of Worship Renewal Fund has replaced the scheme and is offering £92m for refurbishments over the next four years.

Spence said the extra costs are "worrying".

"Where we originally thought that we'd be looking at £80,000 or £90,000 - together with some roof repairs that need to be done - it's coming to £1.5m," he said.

"That's a lot of hundreds of thousands of pounds in the extra VAT."

Melissa Wall from St Peter and All Hallows' Church in West Huntspill, which recently completed a £1m revamp, said they would not have been able to do it without the grant.

"I don't think we'd be able to do it. It was a lot of money," she said.

"We wouldn't be able to as a church to have funded the deficit. It was a lot of work with a lot of volunteers."

Sir Philip Rutnam, chair of the National Churches Trust, said it is "unfair" to expect volunteers to cover the extra charges.

Somerset MPs Ashley Fox and Tessa Munt have called for the grant scheme's reinstatement - a fund Munt said was "essential" to the continuation of many of the county's churches.

However, a government spokesperson said the new £92m Places of Worship Renewal fund provides upfront grants for improvements, and churches will be able to apply to cover the costs of VAT as part of the grant.

Under the former Listed Places of Worship grant, a rebate on VAT was only provided after churches had paid for and completed the work.

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