£60m needed to Prevent Church Closures, warns Bishop of London
The Bishop of London has warned that hundreds of churches across the country could close if urgently needed funding is not found soon.
Posted: Thursday, January 19 , 2006, 9:51 (UK)

The Bishop of London has warned of a spate of church closures across the country if an emergency cash injection of around £60 million is not found.

The Rt. Rev. Richard Chartres urged the Government earlier in the week to increase grants to repair and maintain “some of our most medieval jewels”, as some of England’s oldest churches continue to fall into such disrepair that they face the threat of closure, reports The Telegraph.

“There is a real question whether the achievements of the tens of thousands of volunteers who help to maintain our churches are sustainable,” he said.

"If no extra money is forthcoming we will see a spate of church closures and losses to whole communities of buildings that cannot be sustained."

Bishop Chartres will present a paper to the General Synod in February on the crisis facing the Church of England following a cutback in repair grants from English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund. The rest