THREE Huddersfield churches have been given a vital lifeline.

They are among 17 of the most important listed churches across Yorkshire which have secured lottery funding.

The churches will share more than £1.8m of Heritage Lottery funding to help carry out urgent structural repairs.

The local churches to benefit are:

Huddersfield Parish Church – £138,000

St John’s Church Birkby – £198,000

St Michael the Archangel, Emley – £145,000.

The money comes from the Repair Grants for Places of Worship scheme, which is currently funded by HLF and administered by English Heritage.

In June 2013, it will be superseded by HLF’s new £30, UK-wide Grants for Places of Worship programme. This new initiative will continue to prioritise urgent structural repairs. However it will also enable applicants to apply for funding to support new works – such as the provision of toilets and kitchens – that will improve the functionality of churches.

Huddersfield Parish Church, which is Grade II listed, is the third church to stand upon the site.

The first is thought to have been built around 1090 and was replaced in 1503. The second was entirely demolished for the present church, designed by J P Pritchett and built in 1836. Stone from the old church was salvaged for the new building.

The grant will be used for repairs to masonry, glazing and surface water drainage to the nave north elevation along with additional north nave masonry repairs to the windows and masonry repairs to the south porch walls.

St John’s Church in Birkby hit the headlines when thieves trying to steal the lightning conductor brought down part of the spire.