Listed Buildings: Repairs and Maintenance
Thursday, 12 November 2026
Contributions
Sarah Bool (South Northamptonshire) (Con)Conservative
5. What steps her Department is taking to support owners of listed buildings with the cost of essential repairs and maintenance.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)Labour
Our listed buildings stand at the heart of our communities, and we are investing in heritage across the country with £230 million by 2030 to support listed buildings across England. That includes £75 million through the heritage at risk capital fund to support the repair and conservation of buildings at risk, and £92 million through the places of worship renewal fund for urgent repairs that keep buildings in use.
Many churches relied on the listed places of worship grant scheme to reclaim VAT paid on essential repairs and maintenance. The Government say that the new places of worship renewal fund will be targeted at areas with the greatest disadvantage and need. Can the Minister clarify the metrics being used and reassure my constituents that rural churches in areas such as South Northamptonshire will not be overlooked?
I am grateful to the hon. Lady and I appreciate that she is a huge champion for her local community, which has a rich heritage. The reality is that, under the previous scheme, 80% of those who got funding said that they would have done it anyway, so it was hugely under-targeted. The reality was also that more deprived areas simply could not raise the capital needed in the first place to qualify for the VAT rebate. Our places of worship renewal fund targets those places with the greatest levels of both deprivation and need.
Tom Rutland (East Worthing and Shoreham) (Lab)Labour
Listed places of worship, such as St Mary de Haura in Shoreham, are not just places to pray; they are at the beating heart of our community. Following the listed places of worship grant scheme closing and being replaced by the more competitive and VAT-included places of worship renewal fund, my constituents are concerned about their ability to repair and maintain their places of worship. Will the Minister tell the House how the Government intend to ensure that our places of worship can continue to serve our communities long into the future?
My hon. Friend is right to point out how important they are to local communities. We have the places of worship renewal fund, which I have just spoken about. In addition, the Government have made available £230 million for heritage. Further, we have the National Lottery Heritage Fund and I also encourage him to engage with the Church of England.
Source: UK Parliament Hansard API. Debate ID: 5436631.