Over £3.5 million would be given to parish churches over the next six years for maintenance amid discussions about possible closures due to significant costs.

St Martin Constable Karen Stone has lodged an amendment to the 2026 Budget which would require the Treasury Minister to create a funding model that allocates £50,000 per year to each parish church until 2031.

The funds, which would total £3.6 million of Government funding between the 12 parish churches over the next six years, would be used to “exclusively support their structural integrity and maintenance”.

The amendment argues that without Government support, the cost of repairs could become overwhelming for individual parishes.

It comes after Express revealed earlier this month that two churches – St Mary and St Peter Church in St Helier and St Patrick’s Church in St Clement – could face closure in a bid to streamline resources and ensure the long-term sustainability of Catholic worship in the island.

Constable Stone is proposing that the funding would be allocated under the arts, culture and heritage budget to support the churches and maintain the “iconic buildings of our national heritage”.

She said that while Jersey’s castles receive attention and conservation funding, the churches are often neglected despite being “essential community buildings” important to the island’s heritage, as their use is not limited to worship, but play a wider role in parish life.

Many churches on the island now face structural issues, she explained, which is often made worse by poor Victorian-era restoration methods, as the use of hard cement mortar that traps moisture and causes long-term damage.

The amendment continued that the proposed funding would help address urgent needs and would be used for repainting walls, repairing damp damage, upgrading heating and lighting and fixing exterior features like gutters, windows, and railings, with any unspent funds redirected to other ecclesiastical buildings.

Constable Stone said that “acting now will ensure that the long-term viability of these buildings is secured for years to come” and will “minimise future costs that would much more significantly impact the budgets of future Assemblies”.

The Budget, and the amendment, is due to be debated next month.