INVERCLYDE Council have applied to knock down the B-listed former Clune Park Church in Port Glasgow.
The derelict property in Robert Street, which was built in 1905, is the subject of a dangerous building notice. The council estimate it would millions to restore. The neighbouring empty school was gutted in a fire last August.
The site is currently being secured and contractors have been taking down parts on the gothic tower and roof that appear in danger of uncontrolled collapse.
A statement submitted to planners argues: “Whilst Clune Park Church falls into the category of Special Interest, other factors associated with its location, within an estate experiencing serious social problems, has resulted in retention being very difficult to justify.
“The church was acquired by Inverclyde Council in 2019, after suffering over 25 years of neglect under previous ownership. The building has been attracting interest for all the wrong reasons and is regularly targeted by vandals.
“The decay to the envelope is such that major structural elements are failing to the point of collapse, posing significant risk to the public.”
The statement continues: “With Clune Park Church now subject of a Dangerous Building Notice, and downtakings highly likely to attract further unauthorised access and vandalism, the need to fully demolish is even more pressing.
“The poor physical and social conditions in the area, combined with the level of input required from a range of organisations, indicates that the private housing market has failed, and that large-scale planned intervention is required.
“The demolition of Clune Park Church offers the opportunity and catalyst for the development of [proposed] housing-led regeneration. The benefits such a development presents, in the view of Inverclyde Council, outweigh the strong presumption in favour of its retention.”
