A contractor has been appointed as plans come together to transform an old church.

As reported in the Bridport News in January, fencing is in place around the former Methodist Church in West Bay ahead of work starting to turn it into the West Bay Discovery Centre.

Now, Bridport Area Development Trust, the local charity who are behind the project have announced that, after a formal tender process, R & C Building Conservation of Shaftesbury have been appointed as the contractor to deliver the construction-related part of the project.

Trust director John West said: “We are delighted with this appointment. R & C Conservation have plenty of experience of historic and ecclesiastical buildings. They will be working closely with our Project Manager, Daryl Chambers and Architect Kim Sankey of Angel Architecture to repair and adapt the 170 year old chapel so that it will continue to be an iconic landmark feature in West Bay.”

John added: “At the same time we are working with Bristol-based designers Smith and Jones to create an exciting scheme for the interior of the Discovery Centre. It will provide a treasure trove of information for people to explore, both inside and outside the building.”

Building work on the site is expected to start in mid-February and last for 16 weeks.

With the structural repairs and the internal works complete, the Discovery Centre is scheduled to open to visitors in mid to late summer.