Every village has a church and every village should have a pub and a shop. Whether it is the 15th-century tower of St Andrew’s in Cullompton or the magnificent spire of St Michael and All Angels in Bampton, our historic churches are more than just architecture. They are the anchors of our towns and villages, serving as food banks, warm spaces, and community hubs for everyone, and most importantly of all, places of worship.
However, Labour has changed the rules and put these landmarks in jeopardy. On March 31, the Government will end the Listed Places of Worship (LPW) Grant Scheme. For over two decades, this scheme has been a lifeline, allowing churches to reclaim the 20% VAT on essential repairs. In effect, it ensured that money raised by local cake sales and pews-and-kneels fundraising went directly into stonework and roofs, not to the government.
The replacement,”Renewal Fund” is already full. When you consider that Mid Devon alone is home to dozens of Grade I and II* listed churches with multi-million-pound repair backlogs, this “competitive” grant system is a drop in the ocean.
Take Bampton’s St Michael and All Angels. This 12th-century gem, home to the town’s Heritage & Visitor Centre and those famous stone-encased yew trees, requires constant, specialist care to survive another 800 years. Under the new rules, every pound the community raises for its upkeep will be hit by a 20% tax “surcharge.” It is a “tax on heritage” that many congregations simply cannot afford.
The National Churches Trust warns that this new VAT burden will accelerate closures. We risk a future where a church can be demolished VAT-free, but repairing its roof costs a 20% premium.
I have written to Steve Reed MP to urge a reconsideration. We are asking for the reinstatement of the VAT reclaim that has protected our history since 2001. Our churches have stood for centuries, but they cannot withstand a tax cliff-edge. We must protect them before the scaffolding comes down for the last time.
You can sign my open letter here https://www.james-wright.org.uk/news/stop-church-tax-sign-letter
