Group aims to buy village church for local community

Pictured are committee members Douglas Brunton, Lynne Lyon, Brian Souter. Marjory MacDonald, Helen Brunton, Robert Galloway, Julie Galloway and Ken McDonald. (Wallace Ferrier)Pictured are committee members Douglas Brunton, Lynne Lyon, Brian Souter. Marjory MacDonald, Helen Brunton, Robert Galloway, Julie Galloway and Ken McDonald. (Wallace Ferrier)
Pictured are committee members Douglas Brunton, Lynne Lyon, Brian Souter. Marjory MacDonald, Helen Brunton, Robert Galloway, Julie Galloway and Ken McDonald. (Wallace Ferrier)
An Angus community is hoping to set up a charitable organisation in a bid to buy its local church, which closed earlier this year.

Arbirlot Church is one of many across the country, and several in rural Angus, which have been closed under restructuring by the Church of Scotland and which are being placed on the open market.

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At recent meeting in the church, which closed its doors for worship in April, villagers discussed what they could do to save and find a use for the building.

Although it has yet to be put up for sale, it has been surveyed and will go on the market in the next few weeks along with the nearby church hall and manse.

At the meeting, chairperson Helen Brunton confirmed that no valuation has so far been given, although said Church of Scotland has told the committee that the building church would likely sell for tens of thousands of pounds, rather than hundreds of thousands.

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She also said that meetings have been held with other churches which have closed down, as well as with Angus Council, on the best way to proceed.

The church currently has neither running water nor toilets, which would have to be installed should the purchase be successful. Committee member Marjory MacDonald also said that the group wants to create a community space for everyone to enjoy and plans for the conversion were available to view.

Under the proposals, the pews would be removed to create a hall space, and fire doors, toilets and kitchen would be installed while the organ would be kept. As the building is B, no exterior alterations would be carried out.

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The group’s next aim is to raise funds, initially to buy the church and carry out the alterations. Once registered as a charity, an online fundraiser will be set up. Ultimately it would be used for civil wedding ceremonies, pensioners’ lunch clubs, a children’s nursery, and many other social occasions.

However, concerns were raised over the proposed use of a nearby field, which would be used for parking, as well as on-street parking, and the possibility of noise at late functions.