Devon Town’s Church Begins Major Revamp Project

Any revamp of a historic parish church will require skilled church building project management, partly because it may have many aspects, but also because the age of the building may pose challenges that require experienced and skilled handling to find the necessary solutions.

The revamp of St Mary’s Parish Church in Totnes may be a case in point. The £1.69 million ‘uplift’ project will include re-laying the floors, fitting new heaters, installing a new servery, an accessible toilet, plus work to make the inside space more flexible to serve various community needs, the Dartmouth Chronicle reports.

Challenges have included problems arising from uncertainties over funding for the whole undertaking.

Explaining these, a project spokesperson said: "There has been a delay in appointing contractors as we confirm costs and timings for the work and reopening,” adding that there has also been a problem with meeting the cost since the fundraising target was reached, due to the government reducing the amount of VAT listed churches can have reimbursed.

This change, which takes effect from April 1st, will mean an extra £200,000 will need to be found to meet the project cost, although a £25,000 grant from the Beatrice Lang Trust will help.

Such problems show why a revamp project needs good management, as there are so many circumstances that can change and unexpected problems that can arise.

Cost issues arising from a change in VAT rules are not the only potential financial challenge such projects can face, as cost overruns may also occur in the event of problems such as unexpected damage being discovered that will need extra expenditure to fix.

Thankfully, many churches are highly resourceful and innovative in finding ways to raise funds.

The Church of the Resurrection in the parish of Farlington in Portsmouth has been hosting the Portsmouth Philharmonic Orchestra as a practice venue since 2011, but is now turning to the orchestra to raise funds for roof repairs, Portsmouth News reports.

A classical concert will be held to raise money for this purpose on March 30th, featuring the works of composers such as Schubert and Dvorak.