English Heritage has pledged £3m, the highest level of grant awarded so far, for vital repair work on 23 cathedrals - despite a Government cut in its budget.

Chairman Sir Joceyln Stevens, speaking at Salisbury Cathedral, said that he was faced with a further cut of £16.6m or 15% in real terms.

Joceyln Stevens: increase in grants despite funding cuts

"I have chosen to come to one of the world's greatest ecclesiastical buildings, Salisbury Cathedral, to announce that despite a £2m cut for 1998/99 to £102m, my commissioners have agreed to restore our level of support to the cathedrals to £3m.

"This represents an increase of £1m above this year and it will be shared by 23 cathedrals.

"Salisbury will receive the largest grant of £528,000. These new offers of grant will take the total funding of England's cathedrals by English Heritage since our Cathedral Grant Scheme began in 1991 to £27.5m."

Praise

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Chris Smith, praised English Heritagefor an impressive increase in earnings from properties.

He said he was grateful to Sir Jocelyn for his positive response to the unavoidable cash constraints he had had to impose this year.

"I cannot pre-empt the results of the Expenditure Review in which I am now engaged, but the built heritage is a vital part of our national culture and I will ensure that support for it continues to form one of the priorities for the future."

Repair work is already underway at Salisbury Cathedral

The Dean of Salisbury Cathedral, the Very Reverend Derek Watson, said: "We are part way through a 20-year programme of major repairs which have reached the Eastern roofs at one end of the building and great West Front at the other.

"Without the generous support we receive at the rate of around 70% from English Heritage, this programme of work would come to a stop."

Since it was founded in 1220, Salisbury Cathedral has been the focus of more than 770 years of Christian community life. King Henry III was present at its consecration and it is the subject of world famous paintings by Constable and Turner.

Other grants offered for 1998/99 are Ely £390,000; Worcester £329,000; Lincoln £317,000; Wells £145,000; Hereford £139,000; Durham £135,000; Gloucester £113,000; Peterborough £102,000; Norwich CE £100,000; St Albans £84,000; Carlisle £69,000; Exeter £56,000; Truro £50,000; Southwark RC £45,000; Birmingham RC £22,000; Sheffield CE £19,000; Southwark CE £13,000; Chichester £13,000; Ripon £11,000; Bristol £10,000; Leicester £10,000; Norwich RC £8,000.

The remaining £0.3 million of new offers will be allocated during 1998/99.
 

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