Ipswich Borough Council has approved a one-year insurance contract with Zurich Insurance for historic churches, ensuring coverage from 1 April 2024 due to a lack of time to procure an alternative policy.
The decision was made following a re-tendering exercise for the corporate insurance contract, which led to removing historic churches from the main tender to secure a more specialized policy.
Zurich Insurance, the current provider, will cover the historic churches under the new agreement. The insurance cost is quoted at £26,661.41 plus insurance premium tax, reflecting a modest increase from the previous year's fee.
The Council highlighted the urgency of this decision due to insufficient time to procure an alternative specialist policy, emphasising the need for suitable insurance coverage starting 1 April 2024. This move is part of the Council's efforts to safeguard its historic properties while ensuring financial prudence.
The decision, published on 19 June 2024, follows thorough discussions and evaluations conducted over the past year. It aims to secure the best possible insurance terms for the historic sites.
The accompanying document, "OD-23-120 Historic Churches Insurance," is available on the Council's website.
