A GRADE II listed church has put in a second application to refurbish its community hall after the first proposals were scrapped by English Heritage.

The team at St Peter and St Paul Church in The Green, Chingford, are hoping to get permission from Waltham Forest Council for the £750,000 refurbishment to go ahead after English Heritage told them that their first design was not suitable for the Victorian church.

The hall, which has been a part of the church since 1960, is used by all members of the community for social activities and meetings as well as a place for the choir, the largest parish choral group in England, to practice.

Co-ordinator of the project, Brian Hilton, said he wants to make some serious improvements to the well-used building, including another floor which would have a music room for the choir and community to use.

He said: "The church is very proud of the choir and we would like to have a separate room for them to really thrive, and hopefully encourage youngsters to take up music, too.

"Many of the people who were in the group went on to become professional musicians so it’s something we want to encourage."

The team are also planning to install a lift for the disabled to use more easily when gaining access to the building. They have also included sound proofing and better heating, as well as turning the porch of the hall around to face the green.

Mr Hilton said: "Last time English Heritage didn’t like our design because they said it didn’t fit in with the feel of the church, but obviously we are constrained where money is concerned and we want to build something that will complement the church though not necessarily match it.

"We anticipate we have some way to go to get the go-ahead from English Heritage but we want to help the community with these improvements and even if they say no this time we hope to be able to negotiate with them.

"We have been planning this for more than two years and everyone in the congregation and around Chingford have been very supportive. Although the church is a magnificent example of Victorian architecture we can still add to the hall without ruining it."