A NORTH Oxford church hopes to make it a year to remember after its £2m scheme for a new church hall was approved by Oxford City Council.

St Andrew’s Church, in Linton Road, plans to replace temporary buildings with a two-storey extension and is now busy fundraising for what has been christened the Jubilee Project.

It is hoped that construction will begin before the end of the year.

The extension will include a new hall, large meeting space, meeting and youth rooms, creche, kitchen, cafe area and offices.

It will be connected to the existing church through a lightweight glazed link, which will double as a concourse space.

While churches across the country have been facing dwindling congregations, St Andrew’s says the church’s membership and the popularity of its youth centre have placed severe pressure on space.

The vicar of St Andrew’s, the Rev Andrew Wingfield Digby, said the extra space would allow the church to expand its youth and children’s work.

In the winter church members were asked whether they wanted to go ahead with the project in a vote.

Ballot papers offered the choice of doing nothing, removing the temporary buildings or replacing the temporary buildings with a new structure. Out of the 379 people who voted, 360 backed the plan.

Before the ballot, Mr Wingfield Digby said: “If you try to do anything in North Oxford without involving people in the decision-making process, you’re not going to make much progress.”

He said it was only fair they should be asked for their views, because church members would ultimately be asked to help pay for the work.

He added: “We hope it will be a facility that will be used by the whole community for parties and wedding receptions, for example.”

Oxford architects MEB Design were employed in 2004 to conduct a feasibility study.

The brief was to replace temporary buildings, put up seven years ago, which house youth facilities and meeting rooms. Parts of the existing building will also be refurbished.

Charles Darby, of MEB Design, said: “The Jubilee Project aims to provide increased and improved space to allow the church and local community to host a greater range of activities and events, especially for children and families.”