YMCA’s church plans back to drawing board

A BID to bulldoze a Perth church has stalled after criticism from Scotland’s heritage watchdog and council planning chiefs.

The YMCA has withdrawn its plans to tear down the 130-year-old St Andrew’s and St Stephen’s Parish Church on Atholl Street.

They had wanted to clear the derelict building and make way for a new operations centre and 21 flats.

The proposal also involved tearing down a rundown tenement block on North William Street.

The Gothic church, which is owned by the charity, is on the official buildings at risk register and has been dubbed “unusable” and “unsafe”.

However, planning officers have told the charity it can’t support its plan, which was also criticised by Historic Environment Scotland (HES), the authority which, five years ago, blocked plans to demolish Perth City Hall.

The YMCA said it has gone back to the drawing board and aims to submit a new proposal to council bosses i n t he coming weeks.

The original plan, tabled in August, will be scrapped.

In a letter to agents for the Christian charity, the council’s conser vation officer Diane Barbary said: “The current proposal for the replacement is not considered satisfactory as a replacement for the listed former church and tenement in such a prominent location in a conservation area.”

An HES spokesman added: “Removal of these buildings would be a significant loss to Perth’s historic centre and we would continue to encourage the full consideration of alternative options.

“In particular, we would recommend the scheme for conservation of the corner tenement is reconsidered since it appears to be the more viable historic building within the site.”