Historic England is on the brink of withdrawing its deal to repay VAT on church repairs — the Church of England cannot pick up the burden
Simon Jenkins
Monday November 03 2025, The Times
The new Archbishop of Canterbury should prepare for what should be her first challenge: what to do with the third of England’s parish churches, some 3,000-5,000, that stand empty, bleak and hardly ever used.
Churches constitute almost half of all Grade I listed buildings, the most prominent and beautiful collection of buildings in England. They are its civic inheritance, its local memory and its place of repose. They are also its greatest conservation crisis.
One thing is clear. Churches are victims of Britain’s manic centralisation. …
There is a straightforward solution and it is applied across Europe. Local churches should be “denationalised”.
Anglican churches, perhaps all of them, should be transferred by diocesan authorities to parish or town councils, with appropriate arrangements for shared use. …………….. Churches should be transferred, properly protected, into the care of their parishes. It works throughout Europe. It can work here.
See The Times here (£) https://www.thetimes.com/comment/columnists/article/save-churches-from-crumbling-give-them-to-the-locals-qpc95v2kj