from Christian Today
The government is being called upon to make permanent a scheme that helps listed places of worship manage costly repair and maintenance bills.
The Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee warned that failing to make the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme (LPWGS) permanent would leave historical churches at risk.
MPs on the committee also called for the removal of a recently introduced £25,000 cap on claims, and for the scheme’s current budget to be reviewed.
They suggested that the cap and the lack of permanence in funding was creating uncertainty and anxiety around repair projects which are typically long-term, running into years of planning.
This in turn is putting increased pressure on listed churches and the congregations and communities struggling to maintain them.
The concerns are laid out in a letter from the Chair of the Committee, Dame Caroline Dinenage, to heritage minister, Baroness Twycross.