Hundreds of churches may have to close in next five years amid soaring costs - survey

Hundreds of churches in the UK may have to close in the next five years as the cost of maintaining heritage buildings becomes unmanageable, a conference at the V&A in London heard yesterday.

- Harriet Sherwood

Many of the 20,000-plus listed places of worship contain important heritage treasures such as stained glass windows and monuments of historic significance. They are also hubs for community groups and social action projects.

But, according to a survey by the National Churches Trust, officials at one in 20 churches say they will “definitely” or “probably not” be used as a place of worship by 2030. Rural churches are most at risk, with about 900 in danger of closing in the next five years.

One in five church officials said their building had deteriorated in the past five years, and almost two in five said roofs were at risk or in urgent need of repair, according to the survey of more than 3,600 churches across the UK. Nearly one in three churches were having to draw on reserves to cover basic costs.