Lichfield Cathedral applies for £1m slice of funding for urgent maintenance work
Lichfield Cathedral needs £1million to carry out urgent maintenance work to parts of the historical building, it has emerged.
Bosses have applied to the Government for a grant to help pay for the re-wiring of the electrics, which are currently in a 'serious state'.
Lichfield MP Michael Fabricant is in favour of the application,, saying there is an urgent need for the lighting and electrics to be repaired and re-installed.
The Very Revd Adrian Dorber, who is the Dean of Lichfield, said: "We are grateful for the support and advocacy of our MP Michael Fabricant. It is true that the cathedral's rewiring is in a serious state.
"It has been patched up and repaired to enable us to meet public safety standards but this cannot continue indefinitely.
"We want to re-wire the cathedral and put in a new lighting system next year.
"We hope, that with support from a new Government scheme, we will be able to complete the work by May 2016 and ensure this much-loved place is accessible and available for all the people of our region."
The cathedral has applied for a slice of the Government's First World War (FWW) Centenary Cathedral Repair Fund.
It was announced in the spring that a £20m pot of cash was available to cathedrals to allow for urgent repair work, including keeping the building wind-proof, weather-tight, safe and open to the public, and preventing further deterioration of the building.
Each grant applications will be assessed by an expert panel.
Money has been split across three application rounds - £4m in May this year, £6m in September and £10m in January 2015.
Mr Fabricant said: "Lichfield Cathedral belongs to us all, is over 800 years old and is an integral part of our community.
"It not only provides a place of worship and religious education for all ages but is a major venue for cultural events including the Lichfield Festival and performances by DECO, the cathedral's own orchestra.
"These events attract audiences from within and beyond the Diocese. However, there is now urgent need for the lighting and electrics to be repaired and re-installed.
"I hope that a full grant will be made from the treasury to cover these essential works and if successful, I shall work with the cathedral to make sure we shall all benefit from this funding."
The Church of England's 41 cathedrals welcome more than 11 million visitors each year with only 6,000 staff but more than 15,000 dedicated volunteers.
Lichfield Cathedral dates back to 1195.
