Church renovation given go ahead

VITAL repairs to St Margaret’s RC Church are set to start after a planning application was given the green light.Permission had been sought to form a disabled access, install rooflights and alter external doors at the East Port place of worship.The work is estimated to cost around £546,000 and is part of a legacy project to enhance the building which was built in 1896.Parish priest, Fr Chris Heenan, previously told the Press that the church was in need of a bit of TLC after having nothing major done to it since it was first constructed.Work could take between two and three years to be completed however church services will not be affected although the car park may lose spaces when scaffolding is in place.Efforts will be made for the building to be scaffolding free at certain times during July when several weddings and an ordination are due to take place.As part of the legacy project, trees to the east of the church – which have been there since the 70s and 80s – are to be removed in an effort to create a more welcoming entrance to East Port.Some healthy sycamore are likely to be kept and the area will then be landscaped.