Save Castlehill Church

PLANS to turn Castlehill Street Church into a multi-purpose venue are under threat after Moray Council advised the owner that it is structurally unsafe.

Health practitioner, Claire Love, has been renovating the B-listed building since 2010 but a wall on the Post Office side is subsiding, meaning that the church is at risk of collapse.

"I bought the church to save it from being developed into houses and for it to be used as a community venue as it was in the past," said Claire. "Eventually I would like to see it owned by the people for the people but there is a strong possibility now that it could be demolished."

Claire is looking for support from the local community and has launched a petition which, with enough signatures, could be used in the future to take funding applications forward and save the 150-year-old building. She gathered 140 signatures in a matter of hours.

"I’ve been really touched by peoples’ reactions to the church being reopened as a centre for the community," she said. "I’ve had a really positive reaction from everyone and plenty of fond memories of the place as it was. The demolition threat has proved to be a great motivator for using it again."

Claire’s document ‘Proposal for use of Castlehill Church’ lists a number of activities that the building could be used for if she is able to complete the renovation work.

These include: cultural activity such as music, drama, dance and visual art; health re-skilling and education in nutrition, exercise, self-help and sustainable living; dedicated space for youth facilities; practical employment skills; sale of locally made arts and crafts; skills demonstration; innovative overnight accommodation; and banquet/café space.

Having already personally invested a great deal of time and money in the project, she has contacted Historic Scotland to see if they can help fund the emergency work on the west wall, but is funding it herself in the meantime.

"A Historic Scotland Heritage Management Officer has been working closely with Moray Council’s listed buildings officer to assist the current owner in finding ways of halting the deterioration of the building so she can focus on finding a new long-term use for it," said a spokesperson for Historic Scotland. "The former United Presbyterian Church is a particularly fine building by the Inverness architect John Rhind. It was designed by him in the late 1860s shortly after his return to Inverness from Glasgow, where he had worked in architectural practices for about ten years. The church was listed at category B in 1983."

As well as the cost of purchasing the building, which was sold with planning permission which pushed the price up, Claire’s biggest outlays so far have been £30,000 on dry rot treatment and a further £30,000 on work on the roof. Partition walls and false ceilings were taken out to reveal the true expanse of the building’s interior.

Claire explained that the problem with the west wing of the building started as a result of a fault in the stonework which rotted a main wooden beam. Structural engineers are currently investigating the issue and are optimistic about finding a solution.

Having put together a plan to help push the plans forward, her next steps are be for a steering group to be formed, who could draw up a feasibility study to develop a community project.

Castlehill Church deserves as much of a chance as any other building for funding here because of its beauty and its past as a centre for the community," she said.

A copy of the petition is available to sign in the ‘Gazette’ office. For the full story see this weeks edition.