Hundreds of Church of England churches could be closed and sold or demolished in the next five years, with plans to make it “faster and easier” to dispose of them, charities and priests have warned.
A Church document says that as many as 368 churches have been earmarked for closure within the next two to five years, a rate of closure that would be up to eight times faster than before the pandemic.
It also proposes reducing the amount of consultation needed before closing a church, limiting the rights of local people to object or appeal, and reducing the input from heritage bodies.
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Hundreds of Church of England churches earmarked for potential closure and sale or demolition over next five years
Up to 8x faster than before pandemic
Proposals to make it "faster and easier" to shut them with less consultation https://t.co/Nm0jFCzvcV
— Kaya Burgess (@kayaburgess) October 13, 2021