Demolition bid at former chapel of religious sect rejected

A bid to demolish one of the former meeting places of a Christian sect in Scotland has been rejected.

The Glasite Chapel or meeting house in Botany Lane in Galashiels dates back to the mid-19th Century.

The sect was founded by Scottish clergyman John Glas in 1730 and there were once as many as 30 meeting houses across the country.

The site in the Borders is one of the few that remain and its demolition has been refused by Scottish Borders Council (SBC) despite developers saying repairs were not financially viable.

Heritage groups opposed the plans to demolish the derelict building.

Save Britain's Heritage and Historic Environment Scotland were two of the organisations which raised objections to its "irreversible" flattening.

The applicant, Galashiels-based Morrison and Murray Engineering, submitted a planning bid to SBC requesting permission to demolish it.

The company said repairs were not financially viable and were seeking complete demolition of the building due to its "perilous condition".

In his report refusing the application, SBC lead planning officer Carlos Clarke said the chapel was "one of only a small number of such structures in Scotland".

"Its particular interest lies in it being a surviving meeting place of what was a relatively rare sect, but also its unusual location within an industrial area," he added.

He said that no information had been provided to prove repairs were not financially viable nor was their any evidence of it being marketed for other uses.

"Ultimately, the condition of the building and its location do clearly present difficulties and challenges and those aren't to be underestimated," he said.

However, he said the application did not show that all repair options had been "costed, evidenced and alternatives comprehensively ruled out".

Reporting by local democracy reporter Paul Kelly.