Preston's Grade II listed St Alphonsa Cathedral 'delighted' as it reveals how government funding will be spent

A Grade II listed church in Preston says it is “delighted” that new funding from the government means work on its preservation can ramp up.

Earlier this month, the governement announced that dozens of churches, synagogues, town halls and other historic buildings were to receive a share of £41 million for repairs and renovations.

In total, 74 sites “at the heart” of communities will receive funding from the new places of worship renewal fund and heritage at risk capital fund from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

St. Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Preston was revealed as one of the first recipients of the places of worship renewal fund and it will share more than £18 million with 50 other sites.

Reacting to the news, a spokerspon for the church told the Post: “We are delighted and deeply grateful that St Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral has been successful in securing this funding. The approval is a very welcome and encouraging step forward in our ongoing efforts to preserve and maintain the church for our congregation, the wider community and future generations.

“The church has submitted several funding applications to different organisations to help address its repair and maintenance needs, and we are very thankful that this particular application has been approved through the Worship and Renewal funding scheme.”

First opened as the Church of St Ignatius in 1836, the Meadow Street site was upgraded to a cathedral for the Indian Syro-Malabar congregation in 2016- now under the same St Alphonsa.

The Grade II list church was added to Historic England’s Heritage at Risk register in 2023 and an inspection in September 2024 uncovered extensive water damage at the Meadow Street church, including failed drainage, decaying roof timbers, wet rot and damp-affected plaster.

As we reported in 2025, work planned at the time included gutter replacement, stonework repair and a warning that the level of deterioration could necessitate complete roof replacements rather than localised repairs.

Speaking to the Post this week, St Alphonsa confirmed that the new funds will go directly towards the issues mentioned in that report, but advised that even more work will need to be funded in future.

A spokesperson said: “As mentioned in your 2025 report, this application was specifically made to fund the repair and refurbishment of the vestry, addressing the concerns identified during the inspection in September 2024. We will now focus on carrying out these works in accordance with Historic England’s guidelines, ensuring that the historic character and heritage of the building are respected and preserved.

“While the approved funding is excellent news, there is still much work to be done. The church has several other areas requiring attention, including the need for a new heating system. We continue to manage smaller remedial and maintenance works wherever possible, but larger and more substantial repairs depend on securing additional funding from organisations and heritage schemes.

“We intend to begin the vestry works as soon as possible, ensuring that the necessary repairs and refurbishment are carried out to the appropriate standards and in keeping with the building’s historic significance.

“We are extremely grateful for this support and would like to thank the Worship and Renewal funding scheme for recognising the importance of preserving our church. This funding represents an important step towards safeguarding the building and its heritage, although further support will be needed to address the other essential repairs in the years ahead.”

Other places of worship set to receive the new funding in Lancashire are: Church of the Sacred Heart, Blackpool; Priory and Parish Church of St Mary, Lancaster and Holy Trinity Church, Blackburn.

Money from the heritage at risk capital fund will then provide £13 million for 20 heritage buildings, including work to bring the former Post Office, Abingdon Street in Blackpool back into community use.

Three major heritage sites will also get a share of £10 million over the remainder of the Parliament as part of the heritage at risk capital funding, with money to support restoration of defensive fortifications at Dover Castle and repairs to the roof of Brodsworth Hall in Doncaster.

Queen Victoria’s family residence Osborne, on the Isle of Wight, will also get support for major repairs to its roof.