The church policy plan has been drawn up in consultation with the local government. Every church is a different story. The history, heritage value and condition of the building are taken into account. Flanders has 1,600 churches. The Flemish government is making 3 million euros available for a new purpose.
Hilde Crevits, Flemish Minister of the Interior (CD&V): “That doesn’t seem like much when you look at the number of parish churches, but you have to look at it differently. If you can organize a childcare center in a parish church or have it used by associations or activities, these are things in which you as a local government also have to invest. But you can do that in a beautiful heritage. It is a win-win.”
