Historic Churches 2021

4 BCD SPECIAL REPORT ON HISTORIC CHURCHES 28 TH ANNUAL EDITION St Paul’s, a Grade ll listed church in Truro, Cornwall which closed in 2007 following the discovery of significant structural problems and is still derelict and at risk (Photo: Jonathan Taylor) GRANTS FOR CERAMICS CONSERVATION CHURCH CLOSURES NICK CAHILL AWARD Church attendance has been declining over the past few decades across the UK, and places of worship are being maintained and supported by decreasing congregation numbers. This trend is being exacerbated by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Church of England is preparing for a substantial increase in the rate of church closures. Over the past 20 years the rate has averaged around 20-25 church closures per annum. However, a recent survey indicated that five of the worst hit dioceses were anticipating up to 40 closures in the next two to five years, and a conservative estimate would suggest that the Church may expect this rate to double over the next two to five years. The Church of England is concerned that the requirements for reviewing closures under the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011 are too cumbersome for dealing with a significant increase and have consulted on proposals for a simpler system, much to the dismay of church conservation bodies. The proposals outlined in Mission in Revision: a review of the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011 (http://bc-url.com/mission-revision ) are wide ranging and often benign, but particular heritage concerns are raised by a proposal to reduce consultations generally and with their own conservation specialists, the Statutory Advisory Committee of the Church Buildings Council. Currently the CBC team prepares a report on the architectural and historic significance of a church building before a proposal to close it can be presented to the Mission, Pastoral and Church Property Committee – the body which exercises the Commissioners’ decision-making functions under the Measure. It is the proposal to remove this requirement that has attracted most concern from the heritage community. A Victorian encaustic tile scheme in the chancel of St Laurence’s, Ludlow, Shropshire (Photo: Lesley Durbin) The Tiles and Architectural Ceramics Society (TACS), which has been offering grants for research into tiles and terracotta for many years, is now extending the scope of its scheme to include conservation work too. TACS is inviting applications for small grants of up to £2,000 to carry out conservation work on historic tiles or architectural ceramics. The grant scheme is primarily aimed at churches or museums and may include work on cleaning, accessioning and storage of collections or preliminary conservation reports for proposed restoration. Other charitable institutions and community groups will also be considered. For further information see the website or email info@tacsuk.org . Truro Diocese Advisory Committee and Cornwall Council have established a new award for the ‘Best Ecclesiastical Project in Cornwall’. The award commemorates Nick Cahill, a highly respected heritage professional who died unexpectedly in March 2020 and it celebrates his passion for Cornwall’s churches and chapels. Donations have been received to support commissioning an artist or craftsperson to create the trophy and then each year, this will be awarded to the winner with runners up receiving certificates and if sponsorship can be secured, cash prizes. The award will be open to projects involving ecclesiastical buildings and their setting and associations (graveyards, cemetery buildings and Sunday schools) of all faiths and denominations. It will recognise excellence in design and craftsmanship and in keeping with Nick’s progressive outlook, the award will consider both exciting interventions and more modest conservation, restoration or modernisation projects. The deadline is 31 March 2022. For more information contact Paul Holden, Chair of Truro DAC (pholden02@ gmail.com) . From Mission in Revision: a review of the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011 , para 27 NUMBER OF C of E DIOCESES AFFECTED CLOSURES EXPECTED OVER NEXT 2–5 YEARS MEAN PREDICTION FOR CLOSURES PER YEAR 12 >5 12x2.5/5= 6 9 6–12 9x9/5= 16 5 13–40 5x34/5= 34 56