Proposal for cafe and bookshop scheme agreed

Premises currently used by church

City centre premises currently occupied by Stirling Free Church are to be converted to a bookshop and cafe.

Applicant Leanne Brown was given `change-of-use’ approval for 24 Upper Craigs.

The plans were approved on November 28 with conditions which include that any food preparation and cooking be carried out by microwave oven, soup pot or toasties/panini machine and that no frying or other form of cooking or heating of foodstuffs carried out `to safeguard the amenity of neighbouring residential occupiers and to ensure the avoidance of odour nuisances being generated.’

Stirling Free Church, which was on an informal short-term lease at the Upper Craigs site, is now holding their services at the Robertson Trust’s premises at the

Barracks in Forthside.

The expanding church however is also looking for new city centre premises.

Stirling Free Church minister the Rev Iain MacAskill said when the plans were lodged: “We had the Upper Craigs premises at a reduced rent and carried out refurbishments at our own cost. It was very much an ad hoc, informal, arrangement. It’s time to find alternative premises, ideally in the centre of Stirling.”

Stirling Free Church has been holding morning Sunday services in the Smith Art Gallery and Museum, which has a capacity of 100, and evening services at the Upper Craigs premises.

However, with a growing congregation it is now holding services at the Barracks.

Stirling Free Church has been in existence for five years. Mr MacAskill became minister three and a half years ago.

Prior to that he had been minister at Rosskeen Free Church near Alness as well as chaplain to Ross County Football Club – a role which involves him travelling to Dingwall about a dozen times a year.

Fifty-eight-year-old Mr MacAskill, originally from North Uist, said: “Coming to Stirling was a new experience for me, but an enjoyable one.

“When I started in Stirling there were about 20 people coming to the services, now there are 100.

“The growth in the congregation has been right across the board – from students, young people and older people.

“However, we need a Plan B. The Well is very central. It has been an ideal base for us. Hopefully we can find something similar in Stirling city centre.”