Former Fife village church to become housing as plans approved

The vacant Strathkinness Parish Church is set to become housing after the local authority approved plans from Dundee-based Remmus Developments Ltd this week.

According to Scotland’s Churches Trust, Strathkinness Church is described as a “large stone-built hall-church with a belfry on the gable top”.

It was opened in 1864 and operated as a Church of Scotland church until 2022 when it was “closed and sold by the Church of Scotland”. It’s described as being “now in private hands”.

Those private owners have now come forward with plans to turn the old house of worship into two separate living spaces.

The plans include turning the vacant former church into “two dwelling houses, with associated internal and external alterations” – including a Juliette balcony.

The two-storey “traditional” building is within the settlement boundary of Strathkinness, but it is neither listed or within the local conservation area.

“Overall, this proposal would bring an existing building back into use, would see a net reduction in parking pressures given it would require less parking moving from a church to residential in nature and therefore the proposed parking and site access as a whole are deemed to be acceptable in this instance,” the council explained.

Council planners noted that “concerns have been raised regarding the conversion of this building”.

Visual amenity was one area of concern, but planners emphasised that Remmus Developments amended their initial proposals to address those concerns.

Secondly, the council considers the proposed “finishes, colours and styles” to be “visually compatible/appropriate in this location and for a traditional unlisted building”.

The council report continued: “Concerns have [also] been raised regarding the existing parking on Church Road, however the planning system can not control how individuals park in an area where there are currently no parking restrictions.”

As a result, of these concerns, Fife Council has laid out conditions that developers must meet in order to move forward.

First, work must begin within three years of this approval.

Secondly, a minimum of two off street parking spaces per three bedroom house must be provided before the first home is occupied.

Third, the developer must provide and maintain better visibility splays to the left and right of the junction before the homes are occupied.