We have many lovely and historic churches in Brentwood and Ongar. All need careful and constant maintenance and have been helped in recent years by the Listed Places of Worship (LPW) Grant Scheme which has enabled thousands of churches and other places of worship to be preserved for future generations. These places can provide space for rest, contemplation and well-being.
The scheme, which allocates up to £42 million per year, provides grants to cover the VAT expenses associated with repair and conservation of listed places of worship. This includes conservation efforts for monuments situated in listed places of worship. These grants apply when the monument is an integral part of the building's structure.
As of 1 February 2024, since August 2022, £39,054,024 has been funded to historic churches across the UK through the grant scheme. The scheme handles around 7,000 claims per annum and, by December 2023, had made grants totalling over £300 million.
Prior to the election, the previous Government announced that the scheme will run until 31 March 2025. It remains unclear as to whether the new Government will stick to this, however I very much hope that the scheme is continued as it continues to provide significant benefits for places of worship across the country.
