Scotsman: Kirk calls for public cash to save churches from ruin

(Ed: Not directly an Anglican concern, but it is building costs that finish off congregations, and are the 'elephant in the room' where maintaining the Church of England's presence in rural areas is concerned. I am not aware, though that the Church of England receives any government 'grants' towards insurance as is alleged in the article - certainly not in our case!)

LACK of maintenance and under-insurance by Church members is increasing pressure on the Kirk to shed more of its properties, the General Assembly heard yesterday.
But Church members have claimed that spiralling insurance premiums were crippling their efforts to care for and protect their buildings, and called for the Scottish Government to step in and protect the nation's heritage.

The chairman of the Church of Scotland's General Trustees, Finlay Turner, told the assembly that congregations were neglecting their properties and in many cases seriously under-insuring them.

"The trustees have ongoing and mounting concern that the regulations for care of buildings in many cases are not being applied as well as they might, and major problems with buildings continue to arise from long-term neglects and a failure to attend to minor and routine maintenance as it arises," he said. Read more

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