30 BCD SPECIAL REPORT ON HISTORIC CHURCHES 31st ANNUAL EDITION FINDING A SUITABLE ALTERNATIVE USE So what is a suitable alternative use for a closed church? Mirroring the conservation tenet that the best use for a building is the one for which it was originally designed, the commissioners’ guidance is that any consideration of suitable use must be within the context of the centrality of the unique revelation of God in Jesus Christ. Ecclesiastical buildings and consecrated places bear enduring public witness to the faith and values of the Christian community. Therefore, the best alternative use is generally as a place of worship by another Christian denomination. Over 20 per cent of CofE churches for which a use has been found have been disposed of in this way since 1969. In addition, churches located within the grounds of historic landed estates have been passed to those estates or local trustees for monument use, thereby allowing Christian worship to continue on an occasional basis, an early example of the ‘festival church’ model. Apart from that, there is no generic hierarchy of preferred uses. There are many other suitable uses, including a number offering continuing and direct community benefits such as: use as a concert hall or museum, health centres, children’s nurseries or for other cultural or educational purposes such as galleries or exhibition spaces; for a variety of suitable commercial uses, such as offices, light industrial or restaurant uses; for residential, either as a single dwelling or through subdivision into apartments. The buildings can be leased or sold for any of these purposes and may also include churchyards containing burials. If a use does not come forward locally at the time of closure, as is in most cases, the building is usually placed on the market. Upon closure, the commissioners seek guidance and advice from our statutory advisers on the scope for acceptable alterations to facilitate an alternative use, in the light of the significance of the building and its fixtures and fittings. In many cases we then commission pre-application advice from the LPA and, for Grade I- and II*-listed buildings, from Historic England. Together with valuation advice and views of the local church community, this informs a strategy for a marketing campaign that takes account of the possibilities and constraints posed by the building and its site. Selecting an agent with an understanding and experience of disposing of both historic and complex buildings, and who recognises the process is not going to be swift, is not an easy exercise. The same applies equally to many prospective buyers. Of course, the impact of a potential new use on the historic significance of a building, its fabric and on the fixtures and fittings is a key consideration. Churches are a unique building type with a high degree of significance embedded in their interior fittings both individually and as an ensemble. Sensitive decisions have to be made around retention in situ or rehoming in the context of achieving a sustainable solution for the building as a whole. All sales and leases are subject to planning permission and listed building consent being granted, and our role includes nursing a buyer through that process and advising them how best to achieve their proposal within the constraints and opportunities that the building affords and the compromises involved. This all means that it can take anything between two and five years to conclude the most suitable solution for a reasonably straightforward case. Some take longer. PRESERVATION Where our advisers advise that a ‘building is of such historic and archaeological interest or architectural quality that it ought to be preserved in the interests of the nation and the Church of England, and that the Churches Conservation Trust will have the resources to meet the cost of repairing and maintaining it’ (MPM s.63(1)), the commissioners may decide that a building be vested for preservation in the Churches Conservation Trust (CCT). This body, established by the 1968 measure, receives its core funding jointly from the church and state, and takes care of the most significant churches for which it is not appropriate or possible to implement a suitable alternative use. The CCT currently has an estate of 357 churches in England, 335 of which are listed Grade I and II*. Although no longer within the parish system, these buildings remain open and available for visitors and remain consecrated and used for occasional worship. The CCT maintains its buildings to a high standard and encourages their use by local communities and for compatible additional uses. Where it is not possible to vest a church in the CCT and a preservation solution is most appropriate, we may pass the building to the Friends of Friendless Churches, where they express an interest in taking it. Although the friends receive some state funding from Cadw for its acquisitions in Wales, for churches in England they need to be satisfied that they have the resources. Bespoke charitable trusts may also be established to take on individual buildings for preservation purposes. However, where there is no available use or preservation option, the commissioners are legally obliged to take forward the demolition of a building. Space in this article does not allow a full explanation of the process involved but the commissioners endeavour to do their utmost to find a suitable alternative use for all listed buildings and to minimise this eventuality. CONCLUSION Although the closure of a church building is regrettable, this can be the right solution for the worshipping community in that place at that time. The Church of England’s processes aim to ensure that the building itself enters the next chapter of its life on a sound footing, able to be enjoyed by future generations, albeit in a different way. Whatever the review of the legislation may bring, including more options to sustain church buildings in use for their original purpose, the need for closure and reuse for a non-religious purpose as a last resort will remain in some cases, with processes in place to ensure appropriate decisions for the building are made. ADRIAN BROWNING BA(Hons), MSc, CHE is a historic buildings specialist and case officer in the closed churches team at Church Commissioners. St Paul’s, Bristol (Grade I) was vested in the Churches Conservation Trust and is now primarily a circus school, but it is also available for conferences and other events.
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