Former Berwickshire church receives blessing for conversion
A former Berwickshire church building is to be converted to provide guest accommodation for family and friends of the property’s new owner.
The Old Kirk at Kirkhill House in Mordington dates back to pre-1850 and was once occupied by members of the United Free Church of Scotland.
The last recorded use of the building as a church was around 1912 and it was later used as an agricultural store.
Kirkhill House was purchased last year and an application was recently submitted to Scottish Borders Council (SBC) for alterations to the former church to form ancillary accommodation.
The intention is that The Old Kirk will be used by family members and visiting friends of the applicants, who reside at Kirkhill House.
It has been emphasised that The Old Kirk will at no time be used for long or short-term rental or become a dwelling-house in its own right.
In his report approving the application, SBC planning officer Paul Duncan states: “The main concerns raised by these proposals relate to the level of accommodation proposed and whether this could be truly accommodated in an ancillary fashion.
“The breadth and scale of accommodation would be more akin to that of a small dwelling-house and the building benefits from its own existing separate vehicular access.
“However, given the significant benefits of the proposals, and the likelihood of compliance with key planning policies were the proposed use of the building to change in the future, the risks arising in this case are considered to be low, and must be balanced against the longer-term risk that the building does not find an appropriate use and falls into significant disrepair.”
An application submission from David Burgon of Duns-based Richard Amos Architects states: “The current building was in a poor state of repair and in desperate need of investment to preserve its built form.
“The proposal is sympathetic to the original building, with minimal external change ensuring the character of the building is preserved.
“With a new use and significant investment, the proposal will ensure the building has a purpose going forward and will save it from further decay.
“Essential and urgent repair works have been carried out to a high standard. Further alterations are sympathetic to the host building and will not have a detrimental impact on the character of the building.”