A CHURCH in Clevedon has launched an ambitious £1.5 million expansion scheme to meet the needs of its growing congregation and provide new facilities for the town.

The plans for Christchurch in Chapel Hill include a rebuilt hall with meeting rooms, offices, toilets and a kitchen, removal of the pews to make the church a flexible space, an improved sound and IT system and better access for disabled people.

And to make sure the new buildings blend into the background of the Mendip Hills the church is going green with the roof of the new hall being covered in eco-friendly Sedum grass.

The design of the new building is believed to improve the visibility of the east-end of the mid-Victorian Grade B listed church with its stained glass windows becoming more prominent to passers by.

Architects Chedburn Dudley of Bath, which are specialists in church modifications, have been appointed to the scheme and a planning application was submitted to North Somerset Council on Friday.

More than £1 million pound has already been raised towards its regeneration and it is hoped if planning permission is granted, that work can begin in the autumn.

Christchurch, which has a current membership of 220 adults and is growing, is an Anglican-Methodist Ecumenical Parternship, formed nearly five years ago by joining together the much older Linden Road Methodist and Christ Church Anglican Churches

It is also a leader in the field of partnership between churches of different denominations to build the Christian faith through evangelical work, mission and wide scale community contact. It is linked with a number of schools in the town, including the nearby St Nicholas Chantry Primary School.

Other activities taking place there include toddler groups, art and dance classes, as well as various music groups and concerts.