A crucial time for Scotland’s Places of Worship
BEFS Director explores the current and very real impacts of faith owners divesting of significant portions of their estate and the implications for Scotland’s people and places; for the economy, net zero and climate targets, and wellbeing.
Across Scotland, churches and places of worship are for sale at a speed and scale that has not been seen before. There can be many reasons for a place of worship to require new stewardship, from diminishing congregations and changing demographics to a decline in the condition of the building itself. These are places which may have special status or designation, hold a significant and sensitive place in the lives of communities of place, practice and of interest, as well as being a major part of the town/city/village-scape in which they are found.
The Places of Worship Forum (POWF), for which BEFS provides secretariat, works to create a combined and strengthened voice for a sustainable future for places of worship in transition across Scotland – both in, and beyond, worship. To do this, there must be a baseline understanding of the issue amongst owners, communities, funders, local authorities and national government.
Why is it a crucial time for places of worship?
The current and very real impacts of faith owners divesting of significant portions of their estate has cross-cutting impacts – and implications – for Scotland’s people and places; for the economy, net zero and climate targets, and wellbeing; these sites are too important to our communities, and our places, to not deserve strategic thought to ensure sustainable futures.
From streetscape to vital local service, this issue is a national civic concern rather than solely a religious or denominational matter. Communities, as well as congregations, all over the country are faced with deciding how to respond. It is about all our places, and their people, regardless of faith or inclination.
These spaces also support cultural activity, as local venues, meeting places and hubs for events. They give a home to important services such as foodbanks and community meals. We stand to lose not only the buildings themselves, but also the important roles that they currently fulfil within society.
As the number of communities across Scotland buying their local church or place of worship grows, the issue becomes systemic, and the challenges experienced by communities and their places of worship are not one-off examples:
- How to address the potential loss of the amenities that these community buildings provide?
- How to manage situations where multiple places of worship are sold/bought but there is no capacity to run them?
- How can communities find out about and leverage funding?
- Should a community be unable to reach a consensus as to how to proceed, what can be done, and to whom do they turn for advice?
Seeking solutions: Supporting Net Zero, Economic Recovery and a Just Transition
These places of worship are a key part of our existing built and historic environment. We know that our existing built environment can support economic recovery, community wealth building, and a just green transition if championed and understood. It is:
- central to a potentially expanding skilled workforce, maintaining and appropriately adapting our environment, harnessing long term economic and environmental benefits
- contributing to a growing employment market – where repairing, reusing and adapting our built environment is a vital aspect of economic recovery and towards delivering Net Zero
- as a key resource, essential to Scotland’s tourism offer
- as a focal point of regenerative strategies (particularly in relation to High Street decline, and Town Centre Regeneration) enabling a sense of place and belonging
- providing skilled employment, as places designed to promote wellbeing, and adaptive buildings suited to new futures.
A joined-up approach – across the policy landscape
If considered as part of holistic placemaking – for example as a consideration in Local Development Planning and regional spatial strategies – the impact could be significant.
The recent announcement of a new Planning Hub, sitting with the Improvement Service, could reflect and address the issue as a national priority. Positive outcomes for these places will be (like all planning decisions) both specific to each case, towards the best individual decisions for these buildings, places, congregations, and communities. Some will make incredible homes; some will provide community spaces, and some will remain in worshipful use for many years to come.
BEFS has previously lobbied for coordinated action and knowledge; co-ordination of the data on assets – cultural or otherwise – can enable a joined-up approach to decision making, informing action when considering the potential for assets to be transferred into community hands. Towards good places, the ‘right asset in the right place’, to know what might be coming on to the market and when, thus enabling a proactive rather than a reactive approach.
A previous lack of political appetite to engage may well be changing, given the scale of the buildings now at risk, and as MSPs are approached by their constituents. The message that reaches them must be clear, coordinated and unified in its approach; inaction will not ensure positive outcomes for people and place. Investment and support, multi-partner initiatives and solutions across sectors, directorates and portfolios will – working towards achieving Net Zero as part of strategic planning and placemaking decisions.
Places of Worship Forum (POWF) | Seeking strategic solutions for places of worship in transition
The Places of Worship Forum member organisations are committed to supporting places of worship across Scotland and aim to create a combined and strengthened voice for the sustainable future for places of worship – both in, and beyond, worship. POWF members engage with communities, assist in the transition process, and provide valuable resources.
To find out more about POWF please visit the website or contact hjohnson@befs.org.uk.
USEFUL LINKS AND RESOURCES:
This guidance has been developed by the Community Ownership Support Service, Heritage Trust Network and Historic Churches Scotland to meet a growing need from communities for specific guidance around churches and accompanying land. Taking over a building of any type is a big step for a community and brings with it substantial responsibility. It can appear a daunting prospect, but this document has been designed to guide you through the process.
This report describes the outcomes of ‘Bridging the Gap’, which was a pilot research project conducted by The Churches Conservation Trust (CCT), Historic Churches Scotland (HCS), Heritage Trust Network and Churches Trust for Cumbria (CTfC). From January to August 2022 the partners worked with community groups in rural areas in southern Scotland and northern England, to explore the barriers surrounding sustainable community ownership of church buildings.
Scotland’s Churches Trust created an online form, to collate images and recording data in a single location. That can easily be replicated by small local groups, who have identified and sought permission to record their local closing churches, and we have developed a recorders’ handbook with advice and tips to assist with the recording and uploading of each church record to the HES Archives.
The Sustainable Investment Tool – or SIT – was developed to help visualise the different positive aspects associated with existing buildings and their related projects. The SIT can help us plan a sustainable future, have greater understanding of our places, and increase their potential and resilience. Exploring the different values of a place can help identify new ways of thinking, promote greater advocacy for projects, and perhaps enhance new funding and investment opportunities. Using the SIT can help start conversations around the wider benefits and potential that our existing buildings and places can deliver – highlighting the positive outcomes for Wellbeing, Climate, Culture, and Economy.
Historic Environment Scotland blog – Kilmaronock Old Kirk Trust give their top tips for community groups thinking of taking on the running of a historic place of worship.
Image taken at the Building Sustainable Futures for Scottish Churches event in Paisley, at the start of November. Photo, BEFS.
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