Demolition plan at former chapel of religious sect
Walter BaxterA planning bid has been submitted to demolish one of the former meeting places of a Christian sect in Scotland.
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 but developers said repairs were not financially viable and are now seeking complete demolition due to the building's condition.
John Glas was removed from his ministry in the established church for his non-conformist views.
There were only a very small number of Glasite congregations in Scotland, but the sect spread to England and America, where they were known as Sandemanians.
The group was sometimes known as the Kail Kirk, due to the soup served up to members to help them get through lengthy services of scripture readings, prayers, blessings and hymns.
The Galashiels property is currently on the buildings at risk register and has not been occupied since the beginning of the century.
There were initially plans to repair its roof but now Galashiels-based Morrison and Murray Engineering are seeking complete demolition.
A building condition report by Marsh & Riddell surveyors, submitted with the application, said: "The roof was found in very poor condition generally, with large swathes of the slates now beginning to slip from their fixings.
"Structurally the roof timbers are also in very poor condition because of the long-term water penetration.
"The roof timbers were inspected internally from a ladder with the rafter ends found to be completely rotten."
External walls were also found to be in poor condition and all the internal floors, walls and staircase have been removed.
"With the property essentially being open to the elements all internal finishes are now damaged beyond repair," the report added.
