PLANS for a major £207,000 refurbishment of an Upton church have been presented to town councillors.

Alan Churchward, treasurer of the town's Baptist Church, and the Reverend Ian Sim unveiled a three-dimensional model to councillors at a meeting on Tuesday to outline the extent of the changes.

The refurbishment programme was decided after a routine survey discovered roof timbers on one of the main buildings were rotten.

The church is taking the opportunity to upgrade the building, extending its kitchen facilities and refurbishing the church hall.

"It's not a very pretty or congenial building, as anyone who has seen it will know," said Mr Churchward.

The church has already spent £15,000 on plans and architects' drawings and has obtained all necessary building consent and planning permission from Malvern Hills District Council.

More than £90,000 is already in church funds to finance the project, £30,000 of which was donated by Worcester Baptists' Association. Another £60,000 came from the 60-strong congregation and fundraising events over the past three to four years.

The rest of the estimated £207,000 cost will be borrowed in long-term loans.

Mr Churchward pledged that the work would not begin until the finance was completely secured, answering Coun John Shipp's concerns that the work could drag on. He also said that the target for completion would be six months after the work starts.

The main point of contention is the construction of a new access route to the rear of the building, which crosses one of Upton's oldest footpaths.

Mr Churchward said that the route would occasionally be used by heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) delivering materials, although it was anticipated that the route would be used less than once a week. He assured councillors that the footpath would not have to be closed off during the construction period.

He said that the church would like to make the route a permanent one, in order to facilitate functions like weddings and funerals.

Work will start as soon as approval comes through from the Baptists' Union Corporation, the church's management trustees, and confirmation of the loans needed is given.

"I don't know when this will be, as we had hoped to have started by now," said Rev Sim.

"But it will start as soon as possible once we have the go-ahead."