One in five churches faces being lost

The number of churches is forecast to fall from 48,500 now to only 39,200 in 2030.

Today church leaders warn that the crisis threatens to devastate parishes, depriving local communities of important focal points. Conservationists said Britain was in danger of losing a large slice of its built heritage.

Responding to these concerns, the Telegraph is launching a campaign to save thousands of the nation's churches from disappearing forever.

The threat is clear:

• Two churches are being closed down every week

• At least £1 billion is needed to repair all listed places of worship over the next five years

• Yet the Government spends just £25 million a year on repairs – far less than the £200 million needed

• Churches claim that local authorities discriminate against church-based community projects, reducing income still further

• Planned EU changes to VAT rules for repairs could see churches having to find another £10 million every year.

But the decline is not inevitable. Increases in government grants to repair churches and to back their community work, and minor changes to planning law, could head off the crisis.

The Rt Rev Stephen Lowe, Bishop for Urban Life and Faith, today backed The Sunday Telegraph's Save our Churches campaign, saying it was scandalous that the Church of England has to devote a sixth of its annual budget to maintaining its historic buildings on behalf of the nation.

Bishop Lowe accused the Government of lacking imagination in taking advantage of church buildings.

"We don't want to just preserve these buildings, but to open them up. They should be used seven days a week, rather than for just a few hours on a Sunday," he said.

Around 13,000 of the country's 14,500 listed places of worship are Church of England premises, yet the Church currently receives only around £40 million in repair grants – half government money from English Heritage, half from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Congregations provide a further £70 million toward maintenance of their buildings, leaving a £75 million shortfall. If the gap isn't filled soon, churches warn that large numbers of buildings will fall into disrepair.

Last year, Gordon Brown promised in the Spending Review to examine what help the Government could give to churches, which he acknowledged remained "at the heart of so many communities".

Hugo Swire, the shadow culture secretary, yesterday lent his support to the campaign and called on ministers to work closer with churches to come up with a long-term solution.

"Churches are not only very often architecturally distinguished, but they also play a key role in rural life," he said. "Church closures rip the heart out of the local community, but it is quite clear that they can not be expected to sustain this huge bill."

The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) also backed the campaign. Kate Gordon, its senior planning officer, said: "Places of worship account for much of our finest heritage, yet maintaining these buildings is often prohibitively expensive."

Leading church figures claim that local authorities discriminate against appeals from churches for money for community projects, cutting off a revenue stream which could indirectly help pay for the maintenance.

One senior member of the General Synod – the Church's parliament – said churches faced "barriers of prejudice".

Crispin Truman, the chief executive of the Churches Conservation Trust, said: "Churches need to be adapted so that they are relevant to their communities. It must be done sensitively, but there must be small sacrifices if we are to save our heritage for the future.

"They can be an agent for social change and a place for people to meet. It is crucial that we keep them and help prevent society from fracturing even further."