Without tourist money, St Paul’s Cathedral may be closed down.

If more regular funding is not found, St Paul’s Cathedral may have to close permanently, according to officials. The world-famous London site is almost totally reliant on tourist money from ticket sales, and the pandemic has impacted negatively on its finances.
As a result of the building’s closure in 2020, its revenue fell by 90%. So far this year, the fall has been similar. Dr David Ison, Dean of St Paul’s, stated that “big decisions” were required for the historic building.
According to those in charge, St Paul’s is in the midst of its biggest financial crisis in 300 years. Even after a reorganisation, the yearly operational expenditures alone amount to £8 million per year, despite receiving £3.3 million from the government’s £1.57 billion culture recovery fund.

St Paul's Cathedral - London Airport Transfers — St Paul’s Cathedral – London Airport Transfers

As countries around the world cope with Covid-19, some fear that tourist numbers will never return to pre-pandemic levels. Dr. Ison stated that the previous year had been filled with “crisis management.” He is concerned about the building’s ability to be future-proofed without continual outside support. “If we can’t raise the resources to be able to employ the people to look after the building and pay for the heating and lighting, we would have to shut our doors,” he said.
Almost all of the cathedral’s reserves have been spent, and though some employees have been furloughed, a restructure has resulted in over 25% of the staff being laid off. The globally renowned St Paul’s Cathedral choir may also be at risk, according to reports. It consists of 12 professional singers, in addition to the 30 choirboys, who offer the various ranges that enable the choir to sing its repertoire.
Andrew Carwood, St Paul’s director of music, said “We have to plan and it’s irresponsible for me not to consider all the options but I’m going to do everything in my power and I know that the cathedral is here to make sure we find an answer to the problem we face.”

Almost all of the cathedral’s refurbishment plans have been canceled. One important project that has been canceled is the replacement of major sections of the cathedral’s 7,000 sq m (75,300 sq ft) lead roof, some of which dates back to Sir Christopher Wren’s period as the architect. A £15 million project to repair the old lead roof was scheduled to be put out to tender in March 2020, about the same time as the pandemic hit. However, the project has been canceled.
The fabric surveyor at St Pauls, Oliver Caroe, said the building was “rotting” and that his team was actively patching things up and sealing the holes. He explained, “We have collections under these roofs, really precious objects, and there are buckets next to them, covered in plastic because the roof leaks.”
Dr Ison said the Church of England has 16,000 churches and dioceses to run and most of its income pays for clergy. “These heritage buildings belong to all of us and the church has been the custodian for many generations, but the church no longer has the income to do that, it’s just spread too thinly.” He said. “We’ve got some big decisions in our country about our heritage and how we’re going to manage that going forward.”