Church targets £4.5 million collection in property sale

THE Church of Scotland has placed more than £4.5 million worth of city properties on the market as part of a major sale.

St Colm's International College is up for sale at offers over 3.2m after refurbishment of the 100-year-old Inverleith Terrace missionary, estimated to cost in the region of 1.2m, was ruled out in May.

The main building, at 2.5m, and the staff house, at 700,000, are being offered as separate properties.

Also up for sale along with the historic site, which has housed the Scottish Churches World Exchange programme and provided accommodation to students from the developing world, is St Thomas' Junction Road Church.

The early 19th-century building in Leith, whose 200 members joined St Andrew's Church at the foot of Easter Road last year, has been advertised on the Church of Scotland's property website at offers around 700,000.

The Kirk's solicitors have described the B-listed stone building as "unique", adding that its unusual cinema seats and acoustics could provide the city with a new theatre.

Jennifer Hamilton, solicitor for the church, said: "It's not unusual for churches to attract other faiths who are interested in the building. However, this one has a particularly good auditorium and comfortable cinema-style seating, so it's fairly unique in that respect."

Alongside St Colm's College and St Thomas' are a range of residences, including a modern 145,000 apartment in Piershill, a 285,000 two-storey sandstone house in Abbeyhill and a four-bedroom flat in Corstorphine.

A significant number of churches from different denominations have been sold in deals worth millions of pounds this year.

In the first four months of 2010, property consultants Ryden sold The Churchill Hall and The Braid Church, both in Morningside, the Kirk Memorial Evangelical Church, in Montgomery Street, and the Lady Glenorchy's Church in Roxburgh Place for a total of more than 3m.

In addition, the Evening News understands that the Church of Scotland's Viewforth Parish Church is currently under offer.

Reverend George Whyte, Clerk of the Edinburgh Presbytery, said that falling church attendance is not the only reason for the surplus churches.

He said: "Because of the disruption within the church during the 19th century you often find three churches of similar size in a single parish.

"In times when we had the money we built more than we ever needed."