After many varied meetings during 2000 and 2001 it was decided to remove the current west porch, which was in a poor state, and rebuild it with an extension to provide an 'Open Door' welcoming look to the church and a staffed church office. Having this place for the administrative work of the parish to be securely and effectively undertaken would allow the church to be staffed and open much more of the time. In the plans there was also another room which could be used as a small meeting room, an interview room or a counselling room.

The west porch idea was introduced to the parish at St. James's Church Jubilee Open Day in June 2002. Read the article The 'Opening our Doors' project, as it was called, was officially launched at a St. James's Festival weekend in July of that year. Read the article After some years of problems (read the 2003 update and the 2004 update), finally, in October 2005, the Bishop of Kensington threw open the new west entrance doors and led the community into church for Parish Communion. Read the report The glass doors succeeded in giving a view from the road down the whole length of the nave and the chancel together with the ongoing life within, fulfilling the vision of opening up the church for all to see and join in. A further major modification of the church wiring was carried out during the building of the west porch extension in 2004-6. This included floodlighting the altar so that the interior of the church was lit to enhance the 'Open Door' aspect of the project. The new small room in the west porch, built as an interview room or a counselling room, proved to be too cold and damp and unuseable as such. It was therefore turned into a very useful storage room with fitted shelves.

For a more detailed account, read the page The History of the West Porch.