PARISHIONERS and the wider public are being asked to comment on plans to bring one of the town’s oldest churches into the 21st century.

Christ Church, in Old Town, was built more than 160 years ago with the inside having not changed a great deal during that time.

But now, plans are afoot to change the inside to make the historic building more available for use by the wider community while remaining a place of worship.

Stephen Grosvenor, the project manager, says it is important the church remains at the heart of the community but it needs to be brought into the modern age.

He said: “The key word here is ‘practical’. We are not proposing to do anything drastic like paint it lilac or anything but there do need to be changes.

“It is a 160-year-old church, built for a different world and over the years, it has evolved. When the church was initially built, it was for between 800 and 900 people, something which is hard to imagine now.

“We are looking to make the building more flexible. For example there were pews everywhere. Some of those came out in the 1970s and 80s but we are now going to take the rest out.

“This will not only make movement around the church much easier but also creates good space at the sides.”

A number of other changes are also planned to help make the building more accessible for wheelchair users, such as levelling out the floor. Other changes proposed include improving sound and lighting.

“This is about making sure the church can still be used in another 160 years time,” said Mr Grosvenor.

“A lot of people may only use the church once a year at Christmas or Easter but many feel Christ Church is an important part of the community and we want to keep it like that.

“We hold many events here, such as the recent beer festival and concerts, so it is important we are able to continue that.”

A period of consultation is now being held to gather feedback on the latest plans for the next few months. The next stage will see the church to go to Bristol Diocese to explain their plans. They then have to, in consultation with English Heritage, give permission.

Details on the proposals can be found by visiting www.christchurchswindon.co.uk.