Uncertain future for church as it goes on the market

A CITY church on a prime site has put its building up for sale as it ponders the next stage in its 245-year history.

Bristo Baptist Church in Queensferry Road is being marketed for possible residential development.

The Rev Jim Purves, who has been minister of the church since 1994, said the congregation was ready to relocate or redevelop the current site.

He said the huge 1930s, Grade B-listed building was no longer "fit for purpose", but he insisted the church was not under any financial pressure to sell or move.

He said it simply wanted to make sure it was "in the right place, doing the right things".

The congregation traces its history back to the original Scotch Baptist church in Edinburgh around 1765.

It first met in the Royal Mile, then had a series of sites around the Southside before moving to a new chapel in Bristo Place in 1836.

Then in 1935, the church moved to its present building in Queensferry Road, retaining the Bristo name.

Mr Purves said: "They had the foresight to say 'We want to be where the town is expanding' and relocated to the borders of Edinburgh, over the Dean Bridge – there was nothing between there and Blackhall at the time.

"What we are doing is trying to follow our inheritance. We are no longer at the edge of the city. There are areas of the city that have huge social need. We are asking how can we best serve the wider community of Edinburgh by being in the right place doing the right things."

He said the congregation was looking at two options; redevelopment on the present site or relocating.

"We're not committed to either option at the moment," he said.

"This is a good site to have – tens of thousands pass it every day.

"We don't have to sell, we are not under any financial constraints, but we're ready to pack our bags and go where we're needed."

Mr Purves said the congregation did not want to be in competition with other churches, adding: "If we were relocating, we would want to go to an area someone else was not serving."

Mr Purves said the Bristo sanctuary was 100ft high and not cost effective when it come to heating.

"The building is not really fit for purpose any more," he said.

"When the place was built, the culture was people went to church in their coat, hat and scarf. Nowadays, people expect the place to be at a temperature where they can relax and be comfortable."

Estate agent Rettie is advertising the church as "a rare opportunity to acquire a prominent 0.5 acre residential development site in the West End of Edinburgh", with potential for conversion of the existing church and new-build development, subject to the necessary planning consents.