THE FUTURE of a dilapidated Perth church remains in doubt after potential developers pulled out, The Courier can exclusively reveal.

Pub group JD Wetherspoon had been granted conditional planning permission by Perth and Kinross Council in April to convert St Paul’s Church into a real ale, food and wine bar.

But the company, which also owns the pub and restaurant Capital Asset in the town’s Tay Street, has decided to pull out of the move for “cost” reasons.

The B-listed building, which is on the corner of South Methven Street and the High Street, has been the subject of controversy for some time. The church was last used for worship in 1986 and has been allowed to fall into a state of disrepair.

Members of St Paul’s Action Group have sought a suitable use for the building, which was built in 1807. They had approved the plan by JD Wetherspoon but this latest setback now casts doubt over its future.

A spokesman for JD Wetherspoon last night confirmed the announcement that the company is no longer interested in the site.

“We already have another pub on a different site in Perth and have decided to pull out of the church location,” he said.

“This is purely down to cost.”

He added, “However, we are keen to build an additional pub in Perth and are looking into the possibility of another pub.”

St Paul’s Church has attracted criticism recently for its dilapidated state. A large window had been blown in during stormy weather in February.

Perth and Kinross Council launched a legal bid earlier this year to recoup nearly £100,000 of tax- payers’ money spent on making the building safe. And yesterday they stated they would be keeping an eye on the proceedings.

A spokesman said, “We haven’t heard officially that JD Wetherspoon won’t be going ahead with their proposal for St Paul’s Church. But planning consent will be there for five years.

“Someone else could come along with another pub proposal and decide to take the building on, or the owner of the building (AOC Archaeology) could decide to take advantage of the consent.”