The Church of Scotland has sparked criticism from an MP after slapping a closing date on the sale of a Gretna church hall and car park.
MP David Mundell waded into the row and wrote to kirk chiefs to raise concerns about the Gretna Old Church Hall being put on the market for offers over £90,000.
The car park has been used for more than 20 years as an access point to Stormont Hall which is used by Springfield and Gretna Green Community Council for events.
The building and car park, close to the village’s famous Blacksmith’s Shop visitor complex, now has a closing date of August 17 for final offers.
Springfield and Gretna Green Community Asset Trust, which works closely with the community council, fears the hall sale and loss of car park threatens the viability of the Stormont Public Hall next door.
Community councillor Isabella Tranter has previously branded the rapid sale and lack of communication from the church as “un-Christian” and claimed that motorists would be forced to park on nearby roads causing a safety issue.
Mr Mundell has written to the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh to raising the local concerns.
He said: “The church hall parking area is crucial to the Stormont Hall, which, like the church, has charitable status.
“The speed of the sale seems to have come like a bombshell to the local community which has had insufficient time to seek funding for a bid themselves.
“I understand the strength of feeling locally and was disappointed that a closing date of August 17 has been put in place. If a sale goes through there are no guarantees any new owner would work with the community to safeguard the Stormont Hall and the public facilities it supports.”
In a reply to Mr Mundell, Church of Scotland solicitor, Anne Steele, wrote: “With declining congregational numbers, the decision was taken with great reluctance to rationalise church buildings and to sell the Gretna Old Church Hall and it is currently on the market with a closing date for offers.
“If the hall buildings were to be sold separately from the car park, that would reduce the value of the hall quite considerably and indeed make it more difficult to find a purchaser.
“As trustees of a charity, the sellers must be mindful of their obligations under charity law to maximise the value of the assets under their control as much as possible.”
Ms Steele added: “I understand that there are various local bodies interested in acquiring both the hall and the car park who have indicated that it may be possible for community use of the car park to continue.”
A Church of Scotland spokesperson said: “As is standard practice with non-residential properties, a closing date of August 17, a month after it was initially advertised for sale, has been placed on Gretna Old Church Hall.
“The sale of the property has attracted a lot of interest. The hall and grounds are for sale as a single lot as removing the grounds and car parking space would considerably devalue the property and make it more difficult to find a purchaser.
“As trustees of a charity, the sellers have an obligation under charity law to maximise the value of the assets under their control as much as possible.
“The congregation of Gretna Old, Gretna St Andrews, Half Morton and Kirkpatrick Fleming, has met with representatives of Springfield and Gretna Green Community Council and Community Assets Trust on a number of occasions, both formally and informally. However, as yet we have not received any formal note of interest or offer on Old Gretna Church Hall from either body.”
