Galashiels church demolition receives approval

Demolition plans at St Aidan's Church have been approved

Plans to demolish a B-listed Borders church dating back to the 19th century have been approved.

Book Development Ltd applied for permission to knock down St Aidan's Church in Galashiels.

Council officers said it had now been "satisfactorily demonstrated" that the retention of the church would not be economically viable.

The local authority's planning committee agreed and gave the green light to take it down.

St Aidan's was built in 1880 but closed in August 2005.

Photographic survey

A number of objections had been lodged to the demolition plan, arguing that the loss of the building should not be accepted for heritage reasons.

They also said that other sites existed in the town for a housing development.

Planning officials said the church and hall should be allowed to be demolished but that stone from the church should be retained for use on the front of any new development on the site.

They also recommended that a historic building photographic survey was undertaken before demolition got under way.