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The borough of Reigate and Banstead, one of 11 local government districts in the English county of Surrey, has more than 80 current and former places of worship. There are 70 places of worship in active use and a further 13 at which religious services are no longer held but which survive in alternative uses. The majority of residents are Christian, according to the results of the United Kingdom's most recent census, and most places of worship in the borough serve Christian denominations—although three mosques have opened since 1978 and the Subud and Kosmon movements have also established worship centres. The Church of England, the country's Established Church, has nearly 30 congregations; there are six Roman Catholic churches; and several congregations of Methodists, Baptists, Evangelicals, Open Brethren and the United Reformed Church each have their own church or chapel. The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church have a major regional meeting hall at Horley and several smaller meeting rooms in the surrounding area. English Heritage has awarded listed status to 11 places of worship in the borough of Reigate and Banstead. A building is defined as "listed" when it is placed on a statutory register of buildings of "special architectural or historic interest" in accordance with the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, a Government department, is responsible for this; English Heritage, a non-departmental public body, acts as an agency of the department to administer the process and advise the department on relevant issues. There are three grades of listing status. Grade I, the highest, is defined as being of "exceptional interest"; Grade II* is used for "particularly important buildings of more than special interest"; and Grade II, the lowest, is used for buildings of "special interest". As of February 2001, there were 5 Grade I-listed buildings, 18 with Grade II* status and 388 Grade II-listed buildings in the district. The borough council also maintains a list of locally listed buildings, of which there are 526 As of 2022 (including 12 places of worship). Such buildings are of "local architectural or historic interest", often characterised by "good design, traditional materials and ... historic fabric" and in many cases are situated in conservation areas. (en) |
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