3,500 churches have closed in the last ten years. We must stop the epidemic

Across the UK, church buildings are falling into disrepair, closing and being sold off, with some turned into pubs, nightclubs and even mosques. We must act now to preserve these vital community assets says Claire Walker, before they - and their congregations - disappear forever

Every time a church closes, almost one third of its congregation stops going to church entirely. They do not find another church to worship at or stream any online services. So, it should be of huge concern that 3,500 churches have closed in the UK in the last ten years.

In Wales, around a quarter of historic churches and chapels have closed their doors in recent years, with just as many now at risk. Meanwhile, the Church of Scotland – guardian of many of the country’s most important buildings – is actively planning the closure of as many as 40 per cent of its churches.

Many of these churches will be sold and re purposed — some turned into private housing. But why is this an urgent matter now? Well, the Government has just introduced far-reaching changes to the VAT reclaim scheme for listed places of worship, making essential repairs much more expensive and in some cases, impossible.