Officials at a Shrewsbury church are set to ask for a funding boost from the town council.

St Chad’s Church is aiming to raise £1.6 million towards repairing the church tower and other works including replacing lead to the vestry and chapel and conserving the organ and St Aidan’s Chapel. Church bosses hope the council will agree to provide some of the funding at a meeting to be held on Monday.

It is hoped the majority of the cash will be raised by the congregation and the Friends of St Chad’s before a fundraising campaign is launched.

Some temporary changes have already been implemented on the interior, including removing extra pews which were put in during the Victorian era.

Other plans include putting in a four-foot-high stage for orchestras so that they can be seen by the congregation wherever they sit in the church.

Adrian Richards, chairman of the church’s finance committee, said he had contacted a number of different organisations to see if they could offer support.

He said: “We have to explore every avenue as this is a mammoth task.

“We have had a feasibility study carried out that does show lots of people would be mindful to helping us and we have interviewed members of our own congregation.

“Some of the money could end up being paid over five years but having such pledges made will make a big difference to us.

“English Heritage told us this church is well within the top 10 in Europe in terms of significance because of the way it was designed and built. It’s unique.”

Although bosses have set a £1.6 million target for the next two years, church officials have previously quoted figures in excess of £4 million for the work.

The request will be considered by the town council on Monday at the Guildhall from 6pm.

St Chad’s Church dates back to 1792 and has been a distinctive feature on the town’s skyline for a number of years.

For more information about the appeal call Rod Clark on (01743) 358998.