Church of England bosses have given permission for a £200,000 facelift of Keighley Shared Church.

The project includes redecoration, new light fittings, a retractable screen and a replacement porch.

The Church’s Consistory Court approved the proposals despite concerns from the Victorian Society.

Funding has yet to be found for the majority of the planned work.

The 161-year-old church, on Church Green, is home to both Church of England and Methodist congregations.

Members want to make the building more welcoming and suitable for modern-day activities.

One change would be to the porch, which is currently surrounded by wood with some glass. In future the porch will be enclosed entirely by glass, allowing people walking in from Church Green to see the entire interior of the church.

The Rev Peter Mott, priest-in-charge at the Shared Church, said the current porch discouraged people from coming inside.

He said: “A lot of people peer through the middle screen and go away, either during a service or when we have opened the church for visitors.”

The church also plans to install a new beam across the chancel arch, containing a screen that can be lowered for films and slide shows. Mr Mott said the new screen could be lowered in seconds, rather than the current screen which takes half an hour to put up.

The biggest task will be repainting the church to cover unsightly marks caused by past roof leaks. Scaffolding will be put up inside the church.

Churches have to apply to the Consistory Court before making structural changes, similar to householders applying to Bradford Council for planning permission.

The Shared Church consulted the Victorian Society, which made comments about plans for the porch and the beam. The Shared Church agreed to the society’s request to keep the porch’s marble floor — but covering it with a carpet — and the Consistory Court judge overruled concerns about the removal of the timber porch.

Mr Mott said the porch was not part of the original church but was built more than 50 years later in 1900.

He said the church had already raised about £20,000 towards the £200,000 cost of the project.