Bridlington's MP is calling on the Church of England to contribute more money to the upkeep of local church buildings.
Charlie Dewhirst, Conservative MP for Bridlington and The Wolds, has voiced concerns over the financial challenges faced by rural parishes in maintaining their historic church buildings. During a parliamentary debate, Mr. Dewhirst highlighted that these parishes often incur costs amounting to tens of thousands of pounds without receiving financial assistance from the Church of England or the Government.
Mr. Dewhirst stated that rural parishes in his constituency face "huge financial pressures to maintain their historic church buildings". He noted that while Church of England buildings comprise over 50% of the country's listed buildings, the financial burden of maintaining them falls on local communities. He cautioned that this maintenance "will soon be beyond the ability of our local churches in rural areas".
In response, Marsha de Cordova, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, acknowledged Mr. Dewhirst's advocacy for his constituency and the necessity of additional resources to preserve churches.
She assured him that she would raise these issues and provide advice on local-level actions. Ms. De Cordova also mentioned that bishops representing rural communities and dioceses meet quarterly to discuss best practices and methods to enhance support for their diocese.
Mr Dewhirst asked the Second Church Estates Commissioner to "make representations to the Church of England to ensure that there is more financial support for local churches so that we save this wonderful part of our heritage".
The Church of England has more than 10,000 churches in towns and villages in rural areas which the Commissioner said "play an important role in the life of our rural communities".
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