A LANDMARK Dudley church is undergoing restoration work to conserve the building for future generations.

Dudley Council’s cabinet member for regeneration has praised people at Top Church for successfully obtaining funding for the £700k project, with 78 per cent of costs coming from The National Lottery Heritage Fund grant.

Scaffolding has been put up around the 1818 St Thomas & St Luke’s Church building, where repairs to high-level masonry, external window traceries and the internal painted window will take place.

It is hoped the work, which is expected to complete in the autumn of this year, will remove the building from the ‘At-Risk Register’.

Nathan Conway, operations director, said: "We are delighted that building work has started to restore the Top Church building, which is a precious and iconic landmark in Dudley.

"This work will secure the future of the building, ensuring it will continue as a place of worship and hub for community activity for the next generation.

"We are grateful to National Lottery players and the National Lottery Heritage Fund for their significant support, along with our other funding partners, which has made this project a reality."

Councillor David Stanley, cabinet member for regeneration and enterprise, said: "I am so pleased that funding has been secured for this important restoration project at Top Church.

"It is a credit to everyone at Top Church that the work is now underway, and I would like to personally thank them for all they’ve done to protect this historic building.

"I would also like to thank The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the other contributors for making the works possible, it is a wonderful gift to the people of Dudley."

Other project contributors include National Churches Trust, Wolfson Foundation, All Churches Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation, Church Care, Glaziers Trust and Martin Dudley.

Visitors can continue to worship at the church during works, although some disruption is expected.