PLANS are in the pipeline to build a new multi-million pound flagship Christian centre in Brierley Hill.

Worshippers from Baptist, Methodist, Anglican, Pentecostal churches and emerging house churches in the Black Country have joined forces to plan a new church, community building and centre for spiritual regeneration at the heart of Brierley Hill.

They hope to create a new state-of-the-art worship centre of architectural excellence with facilities that can be used by the whole community - regardless of whether they attend church.

The group is also working with organisations including the Citizens Advice Bureau, AgeUK, Aquarius, National Youth Theatre, Brierley Hill Civic Society and Brierley Hill LIFT to ensure the ambitious Crossways/Sacred Space project becomes a real community partnership.

Rev Pat Nimmo, project leader, said: “Currently there is very little real community space in Brierley Hill, easily available to the local community for meeting and celebration, and for moments of local and national importance.

“We hope to change this with our Crossways/ Sacred Space project, as well creating an arts venue with a large auditorium and a coffee shop, which can be used by local employees and students.

“The new centre should also result in a number of new jobs in the community.”

The group has already produced a feasibility study, funded by Dudley Council, concentrating on two locations from work already undertaken with the former Brierley Hill Regeneration Partnership.

Talks are currently under way with developers and funders to help get things moving - and members hope to be able to build the centre in the next two or three years.

Archdeacon of Dudley, the Venerable Fred Trethewey, said: “The Anglican churches throughout the Diocese of Worcester have recognised this project as a major opportunity and key priority.

“We have contributed a diocesan grant towards the project manager’s costs to begin to turn the hopes into realities and hopefully this will soon be a true ‘sacred space in a public place’.”