A church is a step closer to removing scaffolding which has encased the building for a decade.

Leaders at St Peter’s Church, Brighton, hope the scaffolding can finally be removed after receiving further funding for urgent repairs to the building’s tower.

The tower has been a huge concern for years, due to eroding masonry, crumbling stone and rust.

A £10,000 National Churches Trust Grant will help to pay for urgent repairs to the structure. Also, on the recommendation of the National Churches Trust, the church, which is on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register, will also receive a £5,000 Wolfson Fabric Repair Grant from the Wolfson Foundation. The Wolfson Foundation is a grant-making charity which awards grants to projects.

These grants will mean the church, in York Place, will be able to carry out urgent repairs to the building.

Church leaders are hopeful that the work will enable the scaffolding that is obscuring the church to finally be dismantled.

Although there will still be some work after this phase to keep the building watertight and in good condition.

A community consultation found that 48 per cent of people could not tell if the Grade II listed church was open because of the scaffolding. 

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the church, which was built due to Brighton’s increasing population in the 19th century and the need for a second church.

The building is an early work by Sir Charles Barry, a prominent architect who is perhaps most well-known for designing the Houses of Parliament.  

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The building is a much-loved local landmark and a lifeline to the local community. In 2007, 7,000 people signed a petition to keep the building open when it was set to close.

It was then taken over by a Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) plant in 2009.

Since then, it has grown into a large congregation with five services every weekend.

The church also helps more than 230 people who are homeless as part of Safehaven.

And there are 120 children and young people who take part in the weekly activities at the church.

The church also organises tours for people interested in heritage and history and welcomed hundreds of people last year.

Reverend Daniel Millest, vicar of St Peter’s church, said:  "We are so thrilled to mark this significant milestone in the history of St Peter’s Church.

“For 200 years, this sacred space has been a home for the worship of Jesus, a centre for community life, and a witness to the ever-changing story of Brighton. We are so grateful to the National Churches Trust and the Wolfson Foundation for this generous grant offer which will enable us to carry out this vital next phase of works of the tower restoration.

“As we celebrate our bicentennial, we invite everyone to join us in honouring the past, embracing the present, and envisioning the future of St Peter's and our city."

Claire Walker, chief executive of the National Churches Trust, said:  "The National Churches Trust is delighted to be able to support St Peter’s church to enable them to carry out urgent tower repairs to their beautiful building. Not only will this protect this important heritage, but it will help to keep the church building open and serving local people.”