Eight Shropshire churches get £500,000 for roof repairs

St Bartholomew's Church in Tong, near Albrighton, and Holy Trinity Church in Much Wenlock were the county's biggest beneficiaries of a £22.9 million plan to restore 401 historic places of worship across the UK.

The grants have been awarded through the government-funded Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund. The fund was launched by the Chancellor in December 2014 and the funding package has now seen a total of 903 places of worship across the UK receive a share of £55 million.

The churches. which are all listed buildings, will receive between £10,000 to £100,000 to meet the costs of urgent repairs to roofs and rainwater disposal systems. Money is also being provided for structural investigations, specialist reports and bat surveys.

St Bartholomew's will receive the maximum £100,000 through the fund, while Holy Trinity Church will get £98,600 in the funding, announced by Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne yesterday(WED).

Mr Osborne said: "Churches and cathedrals are a pillar of British life and we are committed to ensuring future generations will be able to admire and use these historic buildings.

"Thanks to the work we've done over the last six years to secure Britain's long term economic security, we are able to support the upkeep and repair of places of worship across the UK."

St Chad's Church, in Boningale, near Albrighton, will get £36,200, and St Nicholas Church in Oldbury, near Bridgnorth, received £18,400. All Saints' at Baschurch, near Shrewsbury, will receive £38,800, and St Mary the Virgin Parish Church in Shawbury will get £82,400.

In south Shropshire, St Laurence's Church in Ludlow was given £44,400, while in the east of the county St John the Baptist Church at Bolas Magna, near Newport, will get £58,900.

Heritage minister Tracey Crouch said: "Churches and cathedrals are the jewel in the crown of our national heritage and it is vital they remain in good repair and are accessible for all."

"These buildings are at the heart of communities across the country and I am delighted so many will benefit from this important fund."

Chairman of the Church Buildings Council Sir Tony Baldry said: "It is fantastic that a further 400 church buildings will receive significant help with roof repairs from government and we are hugely grateful to the Chancellor. We now need to ensure a sustainable way of funding church buildings in the future and this is a question for which I hope the taskforce on church buildings will find viable and deliverable answers."

The Government has also launched an English churches and cathedrals sustainability review to help put these buildings on a more secure financial footing.

A panel of church and independent experts chaired by Bernard Taylor will hold its first meeting today, and is due to report back in April 2017.