The parish is proposing starting a ‘fighting fund’ now and collecting from ratepayers year-by-year so that there would not be a single year with a big bill to be covered.
Russell Clark, vice-dean of the douzaine, who is also a member of the church property management board, said that there were two major projects ‘coming down the road’. ‘The north elevation of the church needs to be re-slated, and that’s going to be quite a big job.
'More pressingly, but again, not imminent, the church floor will need attention,’ he said.
Last year £10,000 was collected from ratepayers to pay for an investigation of the floor of the church.
‘That work has been done,’ said Mr Clark, ‘and I’m afraid we have found the “toxic trio” of damp, dry rot and weevil.’
He said that the works to the roof were still some way off but would need to be started within the next five to 10 years.
He said at the parish meeting earlier this month that ratepayers were responsible for the maintenance of the church.
‘I’m not myself a regular church member, but I do acknowledge the fact that we have to maintain the fabric of the building,’ he said.
‘And of course, it’s a building that is open to people of all faiths and no faith, and we are helping to facilitate the use of the building for musical concerts and things that are not solely ecclesiastical in nature.’
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