Historic Scots church given back to community in 'landmark' move under new scheme
Campsie High Kirk is at the heart of Lennoxtown and will be handed over to locals on Wednesday as part of the new Ownerless Property Transfer Scheme.
The scheme was launched last year by the King's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer (KLTR) and the Campsie High Kirk decision is the culmination of a flagship case.
It has now been hailed as a 'landmark moment in Scotland's heritage-led regeneration journey'.
The church is one of Scotland's best-known kirks and was used for worship until the 1970s and then it was ravaged by fire in 1984.
It will be handed over by the KLTR to East Dunbartonshire Provost Gillian Renwick in a ceremony on Wednesday morning.
The church will be transformed into a community hub (Image: James Fallan) The transfer will take place after the Friends of Campsie High Kirk applied to acquire the building from the KLTR for the nominal sum of £1 plus costs.
The scheme provides opportunities for properties which have fallen to the Crown as ownerless to be brought back into use for the benefit of local communities.
Applicants must demonstrate that the planned use is supported by the community, sustainable and in the public interest.
Read More
Historic and famous Lennoxtown church to transformed into community hub
He said: 'The Friends of Campsie High Kirk presented a really compelling case for not only rescuing this magnificent building from further decline but also providing a community arts hub with the potential to give a huge economic and cultural boost to the Lennoxtown area.
'We are delighted to see the opportunities provided by the OPTS used in this way and look forward to watching the transformation.'
Craig Brooks, Chair of the Friends of Campsie High Kirk, said: 'It's not just about saving a building. It's about something much bigger. It's about communities being empowered by those in a position to give them the tools to make it happen.
"That applies from government right down to communities like ours.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Should Barlinnie become a listed? Most responders had the same thing to say
Hundreds of people responded to the consultation to have Barlinnie listed. The consultation on the proposal has ended with nearly 80% of the 225 responders saying they strongly agreed the prison should become A-listed. Historic Environment Scotland (HES) launched the bid in December last year to preserve parts of the Victorian building with potential plans to create a museum or tourist attraction. Should Barlinnie become a listed building? Glasgow responds (Image: Newsquest) Dara Parsons, head of designations at HES, said at the time: "Listing is a way of ensuring that the importance of Scotland's most historically, culturally and architecturally significant buildings is taken into account in decisions about their future." An overwhelming majority of the responses were in favour of the proposal, mostly citing how integral the jail is to Glasgow. David Docherty said: "The site of Barlinnie plays an important part in Glasgow and its history. The buildings should be protected as they are of a high standard of workmanship from a very long time ago. "I am a stonemason and I appreciate the work that these men gave. It speaks volumes that they still stand the test of time and are still used today." Dr Edward Stewart added: "I think Barlinnie represents an important monument in Glasgow's social history, representing both the city's at times infamous connection to criminal gangs which formed an important aspect of youth culture both in the 1930s, and 60-90s. "Many Glaswegians will have connections to this monument as a notorious prison looming over the east end of the city used to warn children of the dangers of Ill behaviour and a smaller number will have experienced the prison as inmates or visitors (as I have)." Andrew Kelly responded: "Barlinnie is an iconic building for Glasgow and recognised Scotland-wide, we need to retain the buildings considered for listing. "There is much potential to create an experience unique to Scotland, which could incorporate museums, hostels, workspaces, studios, film and TV sets." (Image: Colin Mearns) READ NEXT: Consultation launched on whether to list Glasgow's Barlinnie Update on Barlinnie prison's potential listed status However, 39 people strongly disagreed with the bid. Allan Munro said: "Knock it down. What else are we going to do with a knackered old prison? Listing the building will just create an expensive albatross around society's neck." Others also called it a waste of money and said housing should be built on the empty land instead. Amongst them was the Scottish Prison Service, who argued the listing "would seriously restrict any future use of the site of HMP Barlinnie and limit the positive legacy the regeneration of the site could have for the local community and the city". Glasgow City Council said: "While the site is of architectural, social and historic interest, the Council questions whether Category A listing of the stated extent of buildings and structures is proportionate, particularly when balanced against the practical implications for redevelopment and reuse of the site."
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Orkney farmer plans trailer abattoir to end lengthy trips
An Orkney farmer is part-funding her own abattoir so her rare breed Boreray sheep no longer have to be taken on a seven-hour trip to the mainland for slaughter. The islands have been without a slaughter house since 2018 but Jane Cooper says she hopes to have her Tiny Trailer Abattoir - the first of its kind in the UK - by next year. It will fit on two trailers - one for the humane slaughter of the sheep and the second to store and chill up to 20 carcasses. The trailer system can be operated by one slaughterman. It will be able to move between farms around the islands, but each place it operates will have to comply with all regulations and be licensed separately as if it was a fixed abattoir. Scottish island abattoirs are now able to use local vets to fulfil the role of official veterinarian supervising the process. Rural abattoirs across the UK are shutting down at an alarming rate. According to industry reports, more than a third have closed in the past two decades due to high running costs, retaining skilled staff and increased regulation. Ms Cooper said the ability to slaughter sheep on her own farm would greatly improve animal welfare standards. "At the moment, I have to transport the animals on a ferry and then drive them to Dingwall," she said. "It's a seven-hour trip. I'd rather walk them a few steps from the field and into a trailer." She added that her system would produce almost no waste. "We will be able to use many more byproducts than just the skins and horns that we collect from the abattoir in Dingwall," she said. She is funding up to half the £150,000 herself, with the rest coming from another cooperative. She expects the trailers will be on her farm by springtime next year. Ms Cooper has been farming her distinctive sheep on the Orkney mainland since 2013. The animals are descendants of native sheep from Boreray island in St Kilda. In 2017, they were registered as a distinctive breed in their own right. Several flocks are now established in Orkney which work together through the Orkney Boreray Co-op Ltd. The Tiny Trailer Abattoir will be owned, operated and hired out by the Co-op on a not-for-profit basis. More stories from North East Scotland, Orkney and Shetland Listen to news from Orkney on BBC Sounds Ms Cooper said the design was a new concept in the UK but she was confident it would be a success. "The butchers we already supply are confident their customers will be more than happy to pay an extra premium for our mutton once the sheep are slaughtered on our farm," she said. "We are transitioning our farm business here at Burnside from mostly breeding to bringing in and finishing Orkney Boreray sheep bred and reared by other members of the Co-op."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Warning issued as SEPA hunt for cause of 150 dead fish in river
SEPA is hunting for the source of pollution that has killed around 150 fish in Cumbernauld. The environmental protection body is currently on site at Luggie Water, where locals reported the shocking scenes. The Clyde River Foundation announced that SEPA were on site following the incident, which is believed to have happened around Tuesday, July 29. They shared the news on social media, saying: "We were made aware by SEPA this morning that it is investigating a kill of approximately 150 fish in the Luggie Water in Cumbernauld yesterday (see map below). "If you are near the Luggie Water between Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch today, please be vigilant." READ MORE: Drowning child rescued from Cumbernauld's Luggie Water READ MORE: Scottish Water advice to locals after 'flood' closed road READ MORE: Developer wants to cut down more trees for housing - and people aren't happy Locals were quick to share their dismay at the news, one said: " I was walking dogs at the Luggie across at Greenfaulds and saw it and grabbed the dogs and marched them away to another walk." Another fumed: "This is happening far too often in the Luggie. We need action to stop it." A third said: "Hope there will be plans to restock the fish that have been lost." A spokesperson for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) said: 'SEPA are currently investigating a report of dead fish in the Luggie Water in Cumbernauld. Our colleagues are on site trying to determine the cause of the fish deaths and identify the source of pollution. 'We will be able to give an update once the initial investigations have been completed. 'We would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the public who reported this to us and to encourage anyone who spots signs of a potential pollution incident to contact SEPA immediately via the Pollution Hotline 0800 80 70 60 or by submitting a form online."
