Welcome to the Errogie Church Project page.  Each week we intend to give you a regular Thursday update on how projects are progressing.  Some weeks there will be lots of activity, others not so much.  If you have any questions - or have knowledge and skills you would like to bring to the project please do get in touch with the lead Directors via the button on the right!

 

Update 28/3/24

We had a fabulous session with Aldourie primary school at Errogie on Monday. You can read more about it here.

We will be holding our next steering group meeting on Thursday 18th April at 1pm.  The agenda will be circulated shortly.

 

Update 21/3/24

We are looking forward to welcoming the children from Stratherrick and Aldourie primary schools to the church on Monday for the next stained glass window workshop.

If you would like to use Errogie church for an activity, meeting, workshop, or something else, please get in touch with Caroline by emailing pc@sfctrust.org.uk.

 

Update 29/2/24

Thank you to everyone who came along to today's meeting.  Notes and actions will be shared and circulated shortly.

 

Update 15/2/24

The next Errogie Church steering group meeting will be held at The Wildside Centre on Thursday 29th February at 1pm.

 

Update 1/2/24

Caroline went into Stratherrick school for the first in a series of workshops to design a new stained glass window last week.  You can read more about it here.

 

Update 14/12/23

Thank you to everyone who came along to our meeting on the 29th November.  You can read the notes from this meeting here.

We are currently working on improving our Business Case to enable the Fundraisers to make funding applications for phase 2 of this project.  Please email Caroline at pc@sfctrust.org.uk if you would like to view this document.

 

Update 23/11/23

We are holding a meeting for all those interested in the Errogie Church project to discuss the next steps at 11am on Wednesday 29th November at the Wildside Centre - all are welcome.  If you would like more information, please contact Caroline by emailing pc@sfctrust.org.uk

 

Update 26/10/23

This week we received the news that we have been granted planning permission for phase 2.  Further updates on this will follow shortly.  Errogie Church planning goes through! 

 

Update 19/10/23

It was great to see so many folk brave the wet weather to join us for our Doors Open Day on the 7th October!  We look forward to holding more events and activities here over the next year.  

Errogie Doors Open Day Success 

 

Update 28/9/23

Next week will be a busy week at Errogie - we have a Working group meeting on Wednesday at 1pm and then we look forward to welcoming you along to our Doors Open day on the 7th October.

 

Update 21/9/23

We look forward to welcoming you into the church on Saturday 7th October for our Doors Open Day.  Come and learn more about the mobile pulpit and its use within the community, and see the work that has been done in the building over the last few months.

 

Update 14/9/23

As part of the upcoming Highland Archaeology Festival, we will be hosting a doors open day at Errogie Church on Saturday 7th October.  If you would like to be involved please get in touch with Caroline by emailing pc@sfctrust.org.uk.  We will share more information on what is planned next week.

 

Update 17/8/23

Our Architects met with the planning department to discuss the reasoning behind aspects of the design for phase 2.  A consensus has been reached and the revised design has been shared with the steering group for comment.  This will be re-submitted to planning over the next couple of weeks.

 

Update 27/7/23

Final snagging works are continuing at the church to enable the building to open for community use.  We will share further information on this in due course.

Tony met with funders, SSE, last week and showed them around a number of our active Trust projects, including Errogie Church.

 

Update 22/6/23

Capstone and the team finished at Errogie Church last Friday, and they have done an excellent job.  The remit for this phase of the work was to ensure that the building was wind, watertight and fit for basic use, and at the same time ensure that all works carried out are compliant with our NatureScot bat licence.  Extensive works have been carried out to the roof, both internally and externally, with a bat attic space being created to enable the bats to continue roosting safely in the building whilst it is being used.  We have also added two enormous steel beams to the interior of the roof space for additional support.  Ensuring these were the correct dimensions and weight, along with getting them in to the roof space without damaging the existing beams and rafters was an extraordinary piece of work!  Externally, the leading has all been replaced, damaged slates removed and replaced, and bat entry points have also been added.  Some of you also will have seen the bell tower being painstakingly removed, re-pointed and returned.  New guttering has been added around the church, and where necessary new down-pipes have been installed.

Work has also been done, internally and externally, on securing the windows and repointing the walls.  A large proportion of the lath and plaster has been removed internally, which has revealed a very impressive stone wall.  We are pleased to see that, in general, it was in very good condition!  By taking this off, the west corner of the building has been allowed to dry out – the flooring in this area has been repaired, and with improved drainage outside, we have hopefully rectified the noticeable dampness in this corner.  There is now gravel down surrounding the church, which will help with parking.

We also now have a working bathroom and temporary lighting and electricity within the building.  Matt, our Facilities Manager, is busy with some finishing touches in terms of painting and varnishing, and this week has restored the front door to its former glory - thank you Matt!

   

 

Update 8/6/23

The contractors are due to come off site in the next week.  There are some additional works to be carried out by the Trust team, and once these are complete we look forward to opening the building to the community.

   

 

Update 18/5/23

The current works at the church are on schedule to be completed by the beginning of June.  On completion, the building will be fit for basic use.  Once we are able to gain safe access we will hold our next steering group meeting onsite.

 

Update 4/5/23

Phase 2 has gone to planning.  As part of the planning process we will continue to take on board your thoughts and feedback on this phase so please do get in touch with Caroline by emailing pc@sfctrust.org.uk.  The plans are also available to view in print in The Wildside Centre.

Phase 1 is on track for completion for the beginning of June.

 

Update 27/4/23

We are pleased to be able to share the plans for phase 2 of the church project - you can view them here.  They are also in display in the Wildside Centre if you would like to see them in print.  If you would like to comment, please email Caroline at pc@sfctrust.org.uk.

*Please note that this is a very large file so it will take a while to download.*

 

Update 20/4/23

We are getting closer to submitting plans for phase 2 to planning - we will share plans here shortly.

 

Update 12/04/23

Phase 1 works continue and you can read about the project and Phase 2 in our latest magazine here

 

Update 9/3/23

Read the notes from the most recent working group meeting here.

 

Update 2/3/23

Thank you to those of you who attended our working group meeting this week.  Notes and actions will be circulated in due course.

Phase 1 works continue to run on schedule - below are a selection of photos from the last couple of weeks:

   

   

   

 

Update 23/2/23

Caroline met with the phase 1 construction team this week and all is running to schedule.  The next stage is the external roof repairs, which are due to start next week.

 

Update 16/2/23

Read the notes and actions from the most recent steering group meeting here.

 

Update 9/2/23

Notes and actions from last week's meeting will be circulated to the steering group this week.  

Below are a couple of photos of the ongoing works within the church building.

 

 

Update 2/2/23

Thank you to the those who came along to our steering group meeting yesterday.  Notes and actions from this meeting will be circulated next week.

Phase 1 activity at the church is progressing well, with the internal preparation almost complete.  Work will begin on the internal roof repairs next week.

 

Update 26/1/23

Earlier this week we posted a story on the website to let you know that works have now begun on phase 1.  You can read the story here.  A letter detailing what is happening was circulated to the residents of Errogie and the wider steering group - you can read this here.

An outline of the works proposed is as follows:

2 weeks: Preparation and enabling work, removal of internal church, takedown of pulpit and removal of damaged lath and plaster

2 months: Roof repairs, internally and externally, and installation of specific accommodation for bats, guttering

1 month: Floor repairs, painting work, installation of lighting and sockets, removal of scaffolding, making site safe for use

Further details will be shared here as works progress.

 

Update 19/1/23

Work on phase 1 will begin on Monday 23rd January.  Please be aware of extra traffic and vehicles around the church.

 

Update 12/1/23

You may have noticed some activity around the church over the last couple of weeks - a letter will be going out to all local residents over the next week to let you know what is happening.

 

Update 15/12/22

A lot of work has been going on behind the scenes to firm up requirements for work to begin on phase 1  early in January.  This work will ensure that the building is wind and watertight, and also fit for basic use.  We also received our Bat licence from NatureScot this week, which enables us to carry out the above works safely.

 

Update 24/11/22

We are currently working towards work beginning on Phase 1 (wind and watertight) next month.  In preparation for this, there will be an onsite meeting on Wednesday 7th December, including the Architects, Engineers, QS and the Trust team.

 

Update 17/11/22

On Monday, Engineers from Fairhurst were onsite to investigate the requirements for drainage and what options we have for our septic tank.  The tests were successful, and more work is required to identify what options are available to us.

 

Update 10/11/22

On the back of last Monday's steering group meeting, we held a follow-up workshop today to help consolidate the plans for phase 2.  Thank you to everyone who came along to this - the feedback gathered was invaluable, and we look to run another similar session soon for those who were unable to attend.

Yesterday we had a team onsite recording the interior and exterior of the building with a view to developing visual displays of the church for Heritage purposes.  We will share the results soon.

On Monday there will be a team onsite to dig some trial pits to enable us to further investigate our drainage and septic tank options.

 

Update 3/11/22

Thank you to everyone who came along to the steering group meeting on Monday - it was great to hear your views on how the project is progressing.  We are looking to hold another meeting soon so please keep an eye out for further information on this.

We have also made progress on when we might be able to begin phase 1 works now that the bats are due to leave the premises.  Our Quantity Surveyor is liaising with the Contractors with a view to work starting early December.

 

Update 27/10/22

Our next steering group meeting has been confirmed for 2.30pm on Monday 31st October at The Wildside Centre.  If you cannot attend in person you can take part virtually - please email Caroline on pc@sfctrust.org.uk for the link.

 

Update 13/10/22

A provisional date of Monday 31st October has been suggested for the re-scheduled steering group meeting.  This will be confirmed in due course.

 

Update 29/9/22

This week's steering group meeting was postponed as a number of key members of the group were unavailable.  We are gathering a number of possible dates over the next couple of weeks and will re-schedule soon.

 

Update 22/9/22

The date of our next Steering group meeting has been confirmed as 4pm on Tuesday 27th September and will take place online.  If you have not received notification of this meeting and would like to join, please email Caroline at pc@sfctrust.org.uk.

 

Update 15/9/22

We are hoping to hold our next Steering Group meeting on Tuesday 27th September.  More details to follow soon.

 

Update 8/9/22

This week Tony met with a representative from Highland Council's planning department onsite for an informal discussion on what considerations will need to be made in a planning application.

Last weekend also saw the last of our bat surveys taking place.  More details of what was found will be available soon.

 

Update 1/9/22

We are hoping to hold our next steering group meeting the week commencing 12th September.  More information on this will be circulated early next week.

 

Update 18/8/22

Over the last few weeks, members of the church team have been involved in a series of meetings with the architects and other members of the design team to ensure that the plans for the building continue to reflect the community's wants and needs whilst remaining within the agreed budget.  We are hopeful that the next set of revised plans will be ready for us to share with the steering group very soon.

 

Update 7/7/22

Following on from the feedback gathered from our activity groups on the draft designs for the church, the Architects are revising the plans.  We will share these with the Steering Group in due course.

 

Update 30/6/22

The next stage of our bat survey was carried out on Tuesday this week - we will hopefully receive the results of this next week.

Margaret Davidson joined us for our team meeting this morning to discuss the biodiversity elements within the project - we are very pleased to have her input on this activity area.

 

Update 23/6/22

We received word this week that our application for funding to the Capital Regeneration Fund has been put forward for consideration for stage 2 of the application process, which is very exciting news.

We are hoping that the Ecologists will be onsite over the next couple of weeks to carry out the next stage of the bat survey.  The survey is dependent on weather conditions, so let's hope for a couple of dry and wind free nights soon.

 

Update 16/6/22

Gareth and Caroline have been working with the different activity groups within the steering group to gather their views on how their activity is represented in the designs.  This will then be fed back to Architects to ensure that their designs represent what the community is looking for.  

 

Update 26/5/22

Gareth, Lorraine and Caroline have been busy reviewing the architect's designs to ensure that they match what has been discussed with the steering group.  Once the revisions are in place we will ask for a ballpark cost, which we will then present to the steering group.

The next stage of the bat survey is booked in for the week commencing 24th June.

 

Update 12/5/22

Caroline and Gareth were lucky enough to see the very first draft of the design for the church this week.  There are still a few tweaks to be made, and then we look forward to sharing the Architect's ideas with the steering group in early June.  Further information on this will circulated shortly.

 

Update 5/5/22

Next week is a busy week for Errogie Church - there will be an Ecologist onsite to carry out a bat survey, and Gareth, Lorraine and Caroline will be meeting with the Architects to review the first draft of their design for phase 2.  We hope to be able to share this with the steering group very soon.

 

Update 21/4/22

We are continuing to work with the Architects on the first draft design for phase 2, which we are hoping to see by the end of this month.  Once received we will share with the steering group for feedback.

 

Update 7/4/22

Thank you to everyone who came along to last week's steering group meeting, and for the positive engagement which is helping to drive this project forward.  We consulted on the initial design phase, which was well received, and with your feedback, the Architects will continue their work on designs.  These will be shared with the wider community in due course.

 

Update 31/3/22

We look forward to seeing you at this afternoon's steering group meeting, where we will update you on recent progress.

 

Update 24/3/22

Following a tender process, we have now selected a contractor for Phase 1, which will be announced shortly.  Work onsite is due to begin at the end of April.

You should have received notification of next week's steering group meeting.  If you would like to attend and have not received any details, please contact Caroline by emailing pc@sfctrust.org.uk

 

Update 17/3/22

Gareth, Tony and Caroline spent the day with Simpson & Brown last week to discuss the feedback gathered from the consultation event. Using this information plus information already gathered from work done with the steering group we created a draft list of activities for consideration in the design process for the church.  Simpson & Brown will now take time to put together some design ideas to present to the community.

We hope to hold a steering group meeting on 31st March, more information on this will be circulated over the next few days.

 

Update 3/3/22

Thank you to everyone who helped out on our volunteer day - the area looks very different!

    

Gareth and Caroline will be heading down to Edinburgh next week to meet with Simpson & Brown to discuss the project brief and begin the design process, using all the information gathered from the steering group and the community consultation.  We will arrange a steering group meeting in a couple of weeks to share our findings - keep an eye on your inbox for your invitation.

 

Update 24/2/22

Tomorrow is the closing date for tendering for the phase 1 repair work.  If you have not already done so and would like to be involved in this part of the project, please send your documents through to Gary at WSD asap.

On Saturday we have our volunteer day at the church (further information below) - please pop along to help for 10 minutes or 2 hours!

 

Update 17/2/22

Thank you to everyone who came along to our consultation event last Thursday and Saturday.  It was well-attended, with a lot of constructive information being gathered.

As you can see from the above poster, we are hosting a volunteer day at the church on Saturday 26th February.  More info can be found here - please come and help for as long as you are able!

 

Update 10/2/22

Our first community consultation session at Wildside is this evening - we hope to see you there!  If you can't make it tonight, please pop along and see us on Saturday, between 11am and 2.30pm.

We are also planning a volunteer work day to help tidy the inside of the church and clear the saplings and undergrowth surrounding the building.  Please come along for 10 minutes or 2 hours to help out - the date is Saturday 26th February.  More details will follow soon.

 

Update 3/2/22

We hope to see you at our consultation event next Thursday or Saturday!  For more information on what is involved, click here.

 

Update 27/1/22

We are now working towards our community consultation event on Thursday 10th and Saturday 12th February - we hope you can come along to meet the team and the architects involved in the project and have your say on what you would like to see at Errogie Church.

We are also pleased to let you know that the work for phase 1 has now gone out to tender, with the tendering process being carried out by WSD Quantity Surveyors.  We hope to appoint a lead contractor by the end of February, with work beginning on the building in Spring.

 

Update 20/1/22

We hope to see you at this evening's Steering group meeting, where we will be able to give you some more information on how the project is progressing.

Please add the dates of Thursday 10th and Saturday 12th February to your diary, as we will be hosting a consultation event at Wildside on these days.  This will give you the chance to chat to the team and the Architects who are driving this project forward, and make any suggestions of what you would like to see in the design or the purpose of the building.

We are extremely hopeful that phase 1 of the project (making the building wind and watertight) will go out to tender next week.  If you would like to receive information on how to tender for this work, please email Caroline at pc@sfctrust.org.uk.

 

Update 13/1/22

We have two dates to share with you.  Firstly, we will be holding our next steering group meeting on Zoom next Thursday (20th January) - hopefully you have received notification of this.  If you would like to join us and have not heard from us, please email Gareth, Lorraine or Caroline and they will send you an invitation.

We are also proposing a wider community consultation on the purpose and design of the building for Thursday 10th and Saturday 12th February at Wildside.  More information on this will be circulated once these dates are confirmed. 

 

Update 16/12/21

A lot of work has been going on behind the scenes with the Architects over the last couple of weeks on narrowing down the required repairs for Phase 1.  We are hoping to go out to tender early in the New Year - if you would be interesting in tendering for this work please contact Caroline by emailing pc@sfctrust.org.uk.

 

Update 25/11/21

Attention this week for both staff and Directors of the Trust has been on preparation for the AGM and the launch of the CAP, which you can now read online.  If you attended the AGM, you will have heard Gareth's update on this project and we will continue to notify you of further progress here on a weekly basis.

 

Update 18/11/21

There will be a Steering Group meeting next week with the new architects, details will be sent out to all members of the Steering group later today or tomorrow.  If you would like to be part of this meeting and have not received your invitation, please contact Caroline, Gareth or Lorraine.

 

Update 11/11/21

In the next couple of weeks we will be looking to hold a steering group meeting where we can introduce you to the new Architects.  This meeting will be an opportunity for steering group members to ask questions and put their ideas across to ensure that the Architects are able to fully represent what the community would like in this new community space.  Following this, we are hopeful that by mid December there will be some concept designs available for public consultation.

 

Update 4/11/21

Discussions have been ongoing this week on how to incorporate the new Architects with the Phase 1 repair works.  We will hopefully be able to provide further information on both of these over the next couple of weeks.

 

Update 28/10/21

This week the focus has been on working with the new Architects on how to represent the community's needs from the building from a design perspective.  Using the information Caroline gathered from Steering Group members in August, our Architect will put together a new concept for the design of the building for viewing and feedback, which will then be presented to the community for comment.  It is hoped that these new ideas will be available for everyone to see within the next couple of months. 

 

Update 12/10/21

Last week was our Inception meeting with the new Architects, giving both the team and the Architects the opportunity to discuss the perameters of the project and how we will work together on making the church an ambitious and exciting community space.  We hope to finalise more details over the coming weeks, and more information will be available in due course.

 

Update 30/9/21

We are looking forward to our Inception meeting with our chosen Architect for Phase 2 of the project next week.  This will enable us to move forward on the production of a community-led design, which is a very exciting stage in the project.  Completing the remaining aspects of Phase 1 is also a priority, and we will be working towards progressing this very soon.

If you have any questions on the project so far, or would like to see any of the tender information from the Architect, please contact Gareth or Caroline.

 

Update 23/9/21

Thank you to everyone who attended last week's steering group meeting.  Following approval from the Board, we have now approached our chosen Architect to start the ball rolling on Phase 2.

If you would like to see Caroline's report on the proposed uses of the building, or any of the tender proposals, please get in touch with Caroline by emailing pc@sfctrust.org.uk.

 

Update 16/9/21

We look forward to seeing you all at tonight's Steering Group meeting, where we will be able to give you an update on where we are with Phases 1 and 2 of the project.

 

Update 2/9/21

Our focus is still very much on which Architect we would like to engage for the design phase, and as such we are now working towards holding a Steering Group meeting on Thursday 16th September, so save the date!  We will use this meeting as an opportunity to give you a full update on where we are with the project, including the recent tendering process for phase 2.  If you have any questions at this stage, please get in touch with any of the members of the project team.

 

Update 26/8/21

This week we have been considering submissions from 5 Architects for the second phase of the project, and we have shortlisted 3 who we will now work with to come up with potential suggestions of how we can incorporate the community's needs into the building.  If you would like to see their thoughts so far, please get in touch with Gareth, Lorraine or Caroline!

Just a reminder too, that if you are interested in tendering for the remedial work on the building, please contact Caroline as soon as possible.

 

Update 19/8/21

Are you interested in being involved in the works at Errogie Church?  We will shortly be tendering for local building companies to assist with the first phase of the project, focused on carrying out essential repairs and making the building wind and watertight before the onset of winter. The contract comprises remedial work on the core structure, involving repairs and improvements to the roof, stonework, internal timber linings, electrics and floor.  If you would like to be kept informed about the tendering process, planned for next month, please drop a note to the Project Co-ordinator, Caroline Tucker, who can be reached at pc@sfctrust.org.uk, before August 30th.

David from Northern Asbestos Services was on site on Wednesday to carry out an Asbestos survey, which is essential before any construction works can be carried out.  We hope to receive the results of this very soon.

Caroline has spent time with a number of members of the Steering group this week, gathering information and ideas on the potential uses of the building.  There are some wonderful ideas out there, but what has come through loud and clear so far is the need for a warm, inviting and multi-purpose community space.  Once all the information is gathered, it will be collated and presented to the Steering Group, wider community and our chosen architect to help with the design process.

 

Update 12/8/21

Next week is looking to be a busy week in the life of the Errogie Church project!

Caroline is looking forward to meeting members of the Steering Group to discuss Arts & Craft, Health & Fitness, and Heritage provision within the conversion phase of the project.  We have been extremely impressed with the work that has gone in so far, and thank you Alister, Ros, Lorraine and Mark for your time on the phone and the information you have already prepared – it is invaluable to the project and will help ensure that the final design encompasses the needs of the community. 

Next Friday sees the deadline for design proposals from Architects for Phase 2 of the project.  We have 5 Architects who have confirmed interest, so we are very much looking forward to seeing their ideas.

Also next week we are hoping that the Asbestos survey will take place – date yet to be confirmed.

Going forward, we will soon be tendering for building companies to take on the first phase of the project – the essential repairs.  If you are interested, or know a local building company that might be, please contact Gareth or Lorraine on the email addresses on the right hand side of the page.

 

Update 5/8/21

Last month Kirsty, Gareth and Frank met with potential funders, Greencoat Capital, to discuss the Errogie Church Project.  Yesterday we heard that they were so impressed with our project that they would like to use it as their key ESG case in their company report and presentation.  Naturally the team are quite pleased with this!

In other news, we have agreed to progress with an Asbestos survey on the site prior to work beginning, and we have also asked the Quantity Surveyors to develop a Bill of Quantities to assist us with tracking the costs of the next phase of the Project.

Caroline has begun contacting Steering Group members, and is looking forward to meeting you soon - if you are expecting an email from her, please check your junk box in case she has already been in touch!

 

Update - 28/7/21

Over the last couple of months, activity at Errogie Church has picked up again and the project is beginning to move forward.  Our budget has been approved by the Trust for the first phase of the project – Essential Repairs – and we are working with the Architects and Quantity Surveyors with a view to start work on this next month.  We have also put the design process for Phase 2 – Building Conversion – out to tender to a number of interested parties, and Gareth and Caroline are meeting one of the prospective Architects, Catriona Hill from Oberlanders, at the Church later this week.

As part of the design process for Phase 2, Caroline is hoping to be in touch with members of the Steering Group over the coming weeks – thank you to those of you who had a chat with her at the Gala on Saturday about your thoughts and ideas!  She will be in touch with you again in due course to discuss the proposed uses of the building, so that we can feed this information to the Architects to incorporate into their designs.

Tony and Caroline have also done some research into other funding sources for the project, and for this we are primarily looking at grants with a focus on the conservation of a historic building and conversion of an existing resource to a community space.  Tony has put an application in for a grant from the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund via the Highland Council, and our application has been put forward for consideration.

 

Previous update - 11/01/2021

Background

The church is a single storey building dating from around 1900. It sits in the centre of Errogie and comprises an entrance hall, the main church hall and a vestry at the rear. There is mains water and electricity and a sceptic tank. The rateable value is £4,400.00pa

The building was used by the Free Church until approximately two years ago, since when it has stood empty

The market valuation report by DM Hall notes that the condition of the property is consistent with its age, type and location. The surveyor valued the building at £90k

 

Benefit to the Community

The rationale for purchasing the building is that it will provide a meeting place for the community in the north end of the Strath. It will complete a network of properties ensuring that in those areas where there is a concentration of households there is a Trust-funded amenity on their doorstep.

 

Purpose of the Building

The purpose of the Church will be to provide facilities for relatively small groups engaged in very specific activities such as cookery lessons, dance classes, cinema, museum etc. It is not intended to use the building for large gatherings in order that it functions as an annexe to and not in competition with Stratherrick Public Hall. The specific activities that are provided in this building will be developed in consultation with the local community and how it sits within the overall vision we are developing for the Trust’s property portfolio

 

 

CONSULTATION

The Local Community

We have either met or emailed more than 30 people who live in the vicinity of the church. The outcome of those conversations is that 90% support the idea of a meeting space. The figures are 27 in favour, 2 no and one maybe. Those that expressed an opinion were enthusiastic about the church because of the character and history of the building.

These are a number of quotes extracted from our conversations:

In favour:

• ‘All of the investment by the Trust has been in the south of the area, it is time that facilities are developed on our doorstep’
• ‘We live on the edge of the village and feel rather out of it. It will be great to have somewhere that we can meet our neighbours’
• ‘It would be a wonderful space for a museum of life in the Strath. I did a show of old musical instruments and a talk on cheese making. The feeling afterwards was that it was a real shame we had nowhere for a permanent collection’
• ‘Could there be space for a community craft shop. It is very common out on the West coast. We’ve just come back from a trip to Ardnamurchan and there were a number of such ventures scattered around’ 
• ‘It could be open certain hours and staffed by volunteers on a rota, with maybe a local employed as a caretaker. It would be great to have a positive community focus that people actually want’

Against:

• ‘It think there are insufficient number of people who would use it’

 

Most of the people we interviewed said they would participate in an ‘Errogie Church Support Club’ helping to define the role of the building and helping to run it.

 

Purpose of the Building

With regards to the purpose of the building, we have already talked about how it will complete the strategic objective of ensuring there will be access to amenities on the doorstep of all areas where there is a concentration of people.

The vision we are developing as a Board at the moment is being created to ensure all the buildings and properties play both a unique and complementary role.

Locally there is enthusiasm for a building that caters specifically for music and arts. This is partly driven by the nature of the families living in the area. The village is home to two excellent Scottish Traditional musicians, and then are a number of artists living locally. Ideas floated on the doorstep included a permanent space for arts and crafts activities including a workshop, cupboards to store equipment and gallery/exhibition space.  From our conversations it has become clear that it must not compete with Stratherrick Public Hall, which is regarded with great fondness by many residents in the Strath.

 

The Trust Membership

We have surveyed the members of the Trust using SurveyMonkey. We asked a single question: The Trust currently owns sites at Whitebridge and Foyers and at the centre of the area is Stratherrick Public Hall. This leaves a gap at the northern end of the Strath to serve households in Errogie and Torness. Do you agree in principle that we should provide a community meeting space in this area? It was a simple ‘yes’ ‘no’ response.

To date (13.30 2.09,2020) we have received 31 replies with 70% in favour, 20% against and 10% have no view.

 

We asked people to provide comments in support of their answer – we received 18 comments.

Comments  included:

In favour:

• I think it's important that our community has easy access to a range of facilities that are spread out evenly over our geographical area.
• It could be quite small but with enough space for a local community meal and a blether . We won’t know how to use it yet, but build it and we will use it.
• As long as it can be proven that an additional property will be used and not sit empty and what about something at Inverfarigaig then each of the 4 corners of community are covered.
• I think an additional asset for our community would be beneficial especially as there are no Trust facilities down that area

Against

• It would be nice to see the trust actually spend money on the smaller things our community needs, not another building for the directors to freely spend the community money on like is happening with Wildside
• Surely the Community has enough meeting spaces already . Upkeep of properties can become a millstone around a community’s neck 

No view:

• I am ambivalent about this. I'm not sure what we would use it for, as it's only a couple of miles to the Hall. I understand your reasoning, just not sure if this is a best use of Trust funds.

 

 

THE BUILDING

The Architect

We approached the Trust’s retained architect, Mike Lawson to provide guidance on the suitability of purchasing Errogie Church for the purpose described above.

He considered the building to be suitable for conversion. Internally there is water damage to the plasterwork, particularly at the west end that takes the brunt of the winter weather, there is a suspended wooden floor that is damaged by woodworm I places and there is bowing to what appear to the main purlins.

Externally it is constructed of granite blocks with no signs of movement and the roof is in reasonable condition for its age.

Mike advises that the renovation should be tackled in two or three phases and recommended that the first step should be to remedy the main fabric elements. This included stripping out the timber ground floor structure and replacing it with concrete slab and insulation, stripping out the lathe and plaster to walls and coombs and replacing with plasterboard lining and insulation, removing and renewing the grooved lining boards to the ceiling and injecting DPC to walls.

On Mike’s advice, Gary Wilson, from WSD Inverness, was instructed to prepare a cost estimate to rectify the main fabric elements. His estimate, provided on July 23rd, is £90.000.00.

 

The Structural Engineer

Mike’s one concern about the structure of the building was bowing in the roof timbers. This will be historic movement and he advised we sought the advice of a structural engineer.

We instructed Andrew Fleming, from Fairhurst Engineers Inverness, who is the technical director and is a conservation accredited engineer. He visited the church and concluded that the building structure appears in fair to good condition with no evidence of structural defects to the external masonry walls. The roof structure externally appears in fair condition. Internally there is evidence of bending/deflection of tie beams. He recommended that a provision of between £20k and £30k should be made for remedial work to the timber and masonry.

 

PLANNING REGULATIONS

The particulars for sale describe the building as ‘to be suitable for residential conversion/development.’ We are of course proposing to use the building for community purposes which is in line with its current use. In order to get reassurance that this would be allowed we sought the help of Councillor Margaret Davidson, Highland Council leader.

She spoke to the senior planners and replied: ‘I have spoken with planning and they have no problem in principle to converting an old church into a community centre. there would also be the usual planning issues, entrances, sightlines parking, disabled access and other things.’

We have researched whether the building is listed. A search of the database of protected buildings managed by Historic Environment Scotland returned only one result for Errogie – the former United Free ‘Tin Church’ that sits along the road, separated by a field.

 

FUNDING

The costs of purchasing the building and bringing it back into use are the purchase, approximately £95,000, restoring it to a useable space £90,000 and a provision for restoring an old building, £20,000 to £30,000k

We have consulted with SSE and they have agreed this is an appropriate investment (TBC). We will then seek match funding for the restoration and conversion of the building.

 

SUMMARY

There is certainly an appetite for a community space in this end of the Strath which will enable the vision of providing doorstep amenities in every part of the area. It is an old building which brings an element of risk in terms of the cost of bringing it back into public use.

Conversely, there is a strong argument that restoring a building, whose historic purpose has been to support and enable a healthy vibrant community, is an appropriate project for the Trust. The developed building would also contribute to a property portfolio that will form part of the legacy fund.

The concern was expressed at the special Board meeting about the ongoing cost of maintaining the property portfolio. If purchased, we will work with the Financial Director to develop a strategic investment plan that will provide the work plan and resources for the maintenance of all Trust buildings. There is unlikely, looking at the buildings in the area, that anything suitable for community use will come onto the market in the near future.

 

DECISIONS REQUIRED

We ask the members of the board to decide on the following recommendation:

 

• A meeting space is provided in the north end of the Strath
• The Trust purchases Errogie Church to fulfil this purpose

 

Please email your responses by 09.00 am tomorrow Tuesday 22nd, September 2020.

 

Gareth Jones – Director

Lorraine Lewis - Director