A historic Dundee church is to be demolished after it was found to be in a “dangerous condition” and could be at risk of collapsing.
Craigiebank Church and its adjoining hall will be knocked down and the site cleared for potential redevelopment.
Built in the 1930s, the kirk sits on the junction of Greendykes Road and Craigie Drive, east of the city centre.
A plan to demolish the B-listed building was made in 2011, which would have seen the adjacent hall developed into a new church.
But the condition of the buildings has deteriorated, and an application was lodged with Dundee City Council earlier this year to demolish the properties.
Council planners have now given the proposal the go-ahead – saying the main building is “in very poor condition” and “incapable of repair”.
A report from the council’s planning department said: “There is dampness throughout, resulting in the paint peeling from the walls and plaster spalling off in a number of areas.
“Some of the precast arch units are out of alignment indicating that movement has taken place.
“From the documents provided and the past history of the site, it is evident the church has reached the end of its life and it is now in a dangerous condition.
‘It is incapable of repair’ – council planners
“There is no way to prevent collapse of the structural elements as it continues to deteriorate. Consequently, it is incapable of repair.”
The report added: “Whilst the building presently is not in any danger of collapse, the continuing worsening of its condition will not change.
“In addition, the applicant has taken the view that the building is ‘unsellable’ and that demolition is the only realistic and practical option.”
Historic Environment Scotland says that while the building would be “a loss”, it agrees that the property needs to be demolished for safety reasons.
‘Most significant building’ in Craigiebank
A spokesperson said: “The demolition of the church would be a loss to Dundee’s historic environment.
“It would also result in the loss of arguably the most significant building of the inter-war Craigiebank housing development.
“However, taking into consideration the planning history of the building and that policy and guidance on listed buildings has not fundamentally changed since 2011, the factors that allowed approval of the application in 2011 are equally relevant now.
“We, therefore, do not object to the application.”
The General Trustees, the property holding arm of the Church of Scotland, also supports the application.
Each congregation is responsible for the upkeep of its buildings, something the congregation of Craigiebank says has proved to be “beyond the capabilities of the Kirk Session both in financial and personnel terms”.
“In effect, the building, in general, is beyond economic repair despite the best efforts of the congregation and is now a serious burden for them to deal with,” a spokesperson said.
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