ACTING Bishop of Oxford the Rt Rev Colin Fletcher visited Burford to check on the progress of a major community project.

Parishioners at St John the Baptist Church are close to their impressive target of raising £3.7m to revamp the Grade II-listed Warwick Hall as a church community hub.

Bishop Colin, who is also Bishop of Dorchester, was invited to see the first stages of the building taking shape.

He said: “I’ve seen the plans on paper many a time but this was the first time I had seen it physically. It’s very exciting indeed.

“It will benefit the town as well as the church community and it will be a huge benefit to Burford as a whole.

“Burford is not a huge place and the level of personal giving to the project has just been extraordinary.”

Vicar the Rev Richard Coombs said: “We’re delighted to welcome him here. He has been a great supporter of the project all the way through.

“It’s amazing the community has managed to raise so much .”

The project will see the front of the Victorian hall preserved but the newer part of the building, which dates from the 1950s, will be knocked down and rebuilt..

The new hall will contain facilities for the children’s Sunday Club, a large hall, rooms for Bible study groups, space for youth work and office space. There will also be a day centre for the elderly.

The community has so far raised about £3.6m of the funds from fundraising events, grants and donations.