The Peeblean: Demolition date set for church structure
Commenced in 2019, a daring fraud plus the escalating cost of labour and materials led to the project on the south side of Peebles being abandoned in 2023.
A metal structure described as a ‘carbuncle’ on the south side of Peebles is to be removed during June. Work will commence on Monday to dismantle the steel frame of the abandoned church building project beside Victoria Park. The congregation of Peebles Baptist Church who own the land, have contracted Pyramid Construction Scotland Ltd to clear the weathered skeleton and other materials from the Cleland Avenue site.
The dismantling works will be happening on weekdays only, starting on Monday 8 June for approximately four weeks. A spokesperson for Pyramid Construction confirmed the timings, saying “We are aiming to finish by the time the schools break up for the summer so there’s no works traffic accessing the site after that time. We are removing everything that’s above ground. The perimeter fencing will remain.”
Some basic landscaping is also expected to take place to tidy the site once the structure is down. Once dismantled, the metalwork and materials will go into storage while their potential for reuse is assessed.
Peebles Baptist Church has written to the site’s neighbours to express thanks for their tolerance over several years: “We appreciate that the building process that began in 2019 caused considerable disruption and inconvenience to neighbours and that the site in its undeveloped state has become unsightly and a source of great concern. We want to thank you for your tolerance during the last few years and we appreciate it more during this time. We are still in discussions with a local consortium over the possibility of them taking over the site for the benefit of the community.”
Residents on Cleland Avenue welcomed the news that the structure is to be removed and expressed hope that the site would be repurposed for community benefit. The lack of social facilities and public toilets on the southside of the town was highlighted, with one householder telling us that they frequently observed people ‘popping behind a bush’ around the playpark.
Councillor Robin Tatler, one of the ward councillors for the south side of Peebles, expressed his relief at the news that a plan was now in place to remove the structure, saying: “This is very good news for local residents who have had to put up with this partially completed building for more than 5 years. It has been a difficult time for the members of the Baptist Church who should be thanked for overcoming the many challenges since the project was initiated and who have always sought to find a solution to this issue which would work for all – especially the local residents. Although there will obviously be some disruption caused by the removal of the structure over the coming four weeks, the end result will be a huge improvement to the local environment.”
Plans for a new church
The land has been owned by Peebles Baptist Church for 35 years. Known locally as Moss Hole, the site was used a refuse tip and grassed over in the 1980s. The Church acquired the site from Tweeddale District Council in 1991 and planning permission was approved for a church building but wasn’t commenced and the permission lapsed.
Costs and options for a permanent church building then resumed and were being discussed by church leadership in 2015 with different building materials considered. Boydell Architecture in Galashiels were commissioned in July 2017 to draw up plans. The application was submitted in June 2018 for “a main Church building with three adjoining meeting rooms, a kitchen and toilet facilities”. Once consented, the building project began in January 2019. Groundworks were completed, foundations laid and the steel frame constructed.
The fraudster
In 2019, the Church then fell victim to a fraud. Gordon Marshall from Motherwell offered to supply and fit windows and doors for the new building. An upfront payment was made by the church for £22,743.60, but the company wasn’t legitimate and Marshall was later convicted.
Gordon Marshall was found guilty of the Baptist Church fraud after a trial at Selkirk Sheriff Court in July 2023. Together with two other frauds on householders in Bonnyrigg and Uplawmoor, he avoided jail “by the slimmest of margins”. He was ordered to pay back the money, undertake 150 hours of unpaid work and was subject to a curfew.
Marshall was later convicted and jailed of similar offences, carried out between 2019 and 2021. Described by the Daily Record as a ‘serial fraudster’, he was sentenced to 69 weeks in prison, with the sheriff noting his failure to pay the previous compensation order.
The project unravels 2020-23
As the fraud revealed itself and the knock-on consequences were realised, the works were paused in early 2020 due the Covid pandemic. As lockdowns continued and the months rolled on, the escalating costs of labour and materials created a funding gap. The church’s full-time pastor Ian Gray moved on in May 2021.
By 2023, it became clear to the church that they were unable to take forward their plans for the building. At the time a spokesperson said: “We are obviously extremely disappointed that it has not been possible to complete this ambitious project, begun with great optimism and expectancy. We nonetheless want to thank all those who have supported the project in whatever capacity over the past few years.”
In November 2023, the 0.82 acre site was placed on the open market for sale with a guide price of £250,000. At the same time, the church remained committed to the vision that the site should benefit the community. So when a residents’ group came forward to express interest in purchasing the land, the church opened discussions.
Community interest in the site
Initially called Cleland Site Initiative, later changed to Tweed Valley Community Collective, the founding trustees of the group are Jennifer Misak, Susana Maura-Hoffman, Marc Haslem, Gemma Malby, and Ana Petrusevski.
Tweed Valley Community Collective was established as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) in September 2024. It hasn’t yet submitted any annual return or accounts.
Jennifer Misak from Tweed Valley Community Collective has confirmed that a conversation regarding the site is ongoing: “We’re in continuing discussion with the church and are aligned in our aims to bring the site into community use. This stage is an important step in the potential development of the site.”
So what’s next? TVCC have said they’ll keep The Peeblean up to speed with their plans as discussions continue about the future of the Cleland Avenue site. We’ll stay in touch with all parties so we can report on the next steps.
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This is an excellent piece. Thank you for sharing this. SW