Church repair row ‘affecting people’s faith’ (From Cotswold Journal)

Church repair row ‘affecting people’s faith’

8:00am Friday 3rd August 2012 in News

BROADWAY residents who may have to pay for costly repairs to a village church have said the issue was making them question their Christian faith.

About 30 homes have received letters in the past month telling them that they may be responsible for meeting the repair bill, which could stretch to thousands of pounds, for work on the 12th Century St Eadburghas Church in Snowshill Road, under an archaic law known as Chancel Repair Liability.

A meeting about the matter was attended by Mid Worcestershire MP Peter Luff on Friday evening.

Villager Nuala Barker said: “We should be proud to be British this year of all years and now we have this disgraceful and archaic law appearing.

“Westminster should be told that this is affecting our faith.“ The group of concerned homeowners, including Bill Whamond, who first alerted the Journal to the problem three weeks ago, decided to start an action group appealing against the law.

At the meeting held at St Michael’s Church in Broadway, Mr Luff said he was the first MP to raise the issue for a long time.

“I do think there is a hopeful way forward,” he said.

“This is a ghastly situation.

Broadway seems to be in the vanguard of an issue that is going to effect many other places.

“Total abolition would take years. The way forward is an exemption.”

He urged everyone to write individually to Rev Michelle Massey, the vicar of Broadway, to assist her in an application for an exemption.

Rev Massey said she was aware of the stress and concern caused by the letters and was hoping to get the exemption although she did not know how long this would take.

To join the group opposing the law contact Bill Whamond at whamond@btinter net.com.