A landmark building in the centre of Stirling could be turned into a wedding venue.
Company Eros Events Ltd, who bought B-listed Allan Park Church South in Dunbarton Road earlier this year, have submitted a change of use proposal from class 10 (non-residential institution) to class 3 (food and drink) and class 11 (assembly and leisure).
The scheme covers internal and external alterations including the installation of a new lift and stairwell, and a new central entrance as well as cloakroom and toilet facilities.
Agents Jewitt and Wilkie Architects of Glasgow conclude in a conservation plan and design report submitted with the proposal: ‘The proposed use of the former church as a wedding/functions venue was felt wholly appropriate and, although required interventions to satisfy the Technical Standards, these have been mitigated upon the fabric of the building.
‘The interventions have been fully tested in accordance with conservation planning protocol and believed to be the minimum required without fundamentally altering the fabric of the original building. Through this process, the historic, architectural, social, communal and economic value of the building to Stirling would be maintained and enhanced by the proposed change of use.’
Other potential uses proposed by the agents include creche, day nursery, educational establishment, museum, and public library.
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Jewitt and Wilkie pointed out in their report that ‘the congregation of Allan Park Church merged with St Columba’s in early 2021 ‘due to limited finances, dwindling congregation and rising maintenance costs of their place of worship.’
They further state that the fabric of the building had been ‘historically experiencing structural movement requiring significant intervention, therefore continuation in this location [for the church] was proving to be a challenging option.’
Allan Park Church South, built in 1867 in the Gothic style, was designed by Edinburgh architects Peddie and Kinnear.
