Labour’s new 'worship tax' could see 1,000 historical buildings close

Churches successful to beryllium deed with a (Image: Getty)

The Conservatives person slammed Labour’s determination to enforce a Worship Tax due to the fact that it volition “hammer” historical buildings “that are astatine the bosom of communities.”

Funds allocated to repair past churches and prevention them from closure person been slashed arsenic the authorities announced cuts connected Wednesday. Labour volition halve the taxation alleviation paid retired for repairs to listed places of worship - astir 1,000 are present astatine hazard of contiguous closure.

Culture curate Chris Bryant said that “competing priorities” wrong the department, coupled with a “tough fiscal background” means the caller headdress stands astatine £23 million, down from the £42 cardinal spent per year.

A bounds connected the fig that each spot of worship tin assertion has besides been capped to £25,000 annually. For the places of worship eligible for this, specified arsenic churches, synagogues and mosques, the strategy volition lone beryllium guaranteed for different year, starting from March.

The determination has been met with disapproval by shadiness civilization caput Stuart Andrew who believes galore historical buildings volition beryllium negatively affected.

Culture minister, Chris Bryant (Image: PA)

He said: “Last year, the Listed Places of Worship Scheme helped thousands of historical churches and places of worship up and down the state with the outgo of repairs.

“Labour withheld their plans to slash the scheme’s backing for months, causing churches to enactment disconnected captious repairs and projects for fearfulness of being slammed with a immense taxation bill.

“Labour indispensable recognise their determination to enforce a Worship Tax by slashing the scheme’s fund volition hammer historical churches, synagogues, mosques and different places of worship that are astatine the bosom of communities.”

969 places of worship are reportedly astatine hazard of closure owed to neglect and decay, probe from Historic England shows.

Chairman of the National Churches and erstwhile Home Office imperishable secretary, Sir Philip Rutnam has said helium welcomes the schemes hold of 1 twelvemonth but the aboriginal remains uncertain.

Sir Philip said: “We are pleased that the strategy has been extended, but are profoundly acrophobic that this is lone for 1 year, a spending headdress has been introduced, and the wide fund has been slashed for the scheme.

“This simply does not supply capable certainty oregon enactment to churches, who request much clip to program and present repairs. The strategy offers tremendous worth for money.

“For each £1 invested successful a religion building, £16 of societal bully is generated. We powerfully judge that the strategy should beryllium made imperishable – it is captious to assistance these buildings enactment open, serving section people, and it’s the poorest and astir isolated who volition endure astir if these buildings are forced to close.”