A GROUP determined to save a church from falling into disrepair has submitted an application for funding.

The Church of St Peter's Fugglestone in Wilton is one step closer to being restored as the group behind it has applied for National Lottery Heritage Fund money.

The Wilton Sunrise Project, launched by Wilton Community Land Trust and Wilton Parish Church Council, hopes to refurbish the declining 13th-century building.

Restoration work is expected to cost between £500k and £750k and the groups would have to raise a sum of cash equal to 10 per cent of whatever is offered by the Lottery Heritage Fund.

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Treasurer Peter Edge previously told the Journal that the church council couldn't afford to keep up with the repairs, adding: "If something was not done along these lines it would be a ruined church."

If the church is successfully restored, the council will use it for religious services but it will also be available as a community space.

A public consultation was held in February and March to help the council determine what uses the church could have and if there are any demands it needs to fulfil.

This found that 84.8 per cent of respondees support changing the church's use with a strong bias toward arts and crafts, cinema and music.