In the latest DTAS Debates Series we asked the following question:  

‘How can Development Trusts play a role in the future use of land and buildings being disposed of by the Church of Scotland, and when should they say no?’ 

The event took place during the largest sale of buildings in the history of Scotland’s Church. Based on DTAS’s research, approximately 800 church buildings are at risk of disposal by the Church of Scotland by 2027, with a large portion having been put on the market or sold already. These church buildings play varied and significant roles in communities across Scotland. The choice to sell buildings at this speed and scale has put communities in a challenging position wondering if there’s anything they can do to keep these buildings in community use, and whether they should consider attempting to take them on. 

In direct response to this unprecedented moment, DTAS’ Community Ownership Support Service (COSS) recently launched the ‘New Futures: Former Places of Worship’ programme. Beginning in January 2025, COSS have been funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic Environment Scotland, and Development Trusts Association Scotland to provide expert advice to communities considering bringing a church into community ownership.  

This DTAS Debates session brought together development trusts from across the country to open a dialogue about the ongoing church disposals. Three panellists from Arisaig Community Trust, Action Porty, and Lochwinnoch Community Development Trust, explained their differing experiences and views regarding bringing churches into community ownership, providing structure and lived experience to the discussion. 

Key Themes and Challenges 

Significance of churches as community spaces 

• Panellists and attendees alike felt that for them and their community, their local church was a highly significant building. In many cases, the church is the only civic space available in a community, and losing it poses a significant threat to community life. Attendees expressed a sense that ‘once it’s lost, we’ll not get it back’ about their church buildings. 

• Although the threat of losing the building is significant, they can be an opportunity to rally and boost community engagement, with panellists reporting higher-than-usual local engagement in relation to their church. This included high response rates to surveys and other engagement and even high sum donations from private individuals. 

• The uniqueness and significance of churches can also come with complications, with communities having to consider complexities around graveyards, scheduled monuments, and listed statuses before deciding whether to take on a church asset. 

Scale of the sale 

• Many communities were frustrated with the scale and speed of church sales across Scotland and some felt that they haven’t been given enough time to prepare adequately for a community buyout. 

• However, communities were experiencing a huge variety in the process when initiating a community buyout – especially in relation to expectations and timescales from the Church of Scotland. One panellist began the process in 2020 and bought their church in 2025, while the other two panellists were given tight deadlines and had rush to purchase the building on time, with one only successful thanks to a community right to buy. 

• While a community right to buy proved successful for some communities, others felt that this route was unrealistic for them due to the rapid sale of church assets and the procedural challenges associated with CRtB.  

Suitability of church buildings 

• While the flexibility and size of church spaces appeals to many community groups, others felt that churches are too large or unsuitably laid out for regular use and required significant adaptation. 

• The cost of adapting and maintaining church buildings can be significant. In two presentations, panellists explained that 6 and 7 figure sums were required to improve the buildings to the standard necessary for community use. 

• Ecclesiastical exemption also means that many church facilities aren’t up to modern building regulations, despite being in active use. Therefore, when communities acquire them, they are faced with a costly task to upgrade the building’s basic facilities before they can use it. 

What Needs to Happen Next? 

DTAS expects church sales to continue at pace over the next two years. Alongside this, there will be an increased need for advice, support and clarity for communities wishing to bring churches into community ownership. 

While COSS’s programme is timely, it needs to act quickly to ensure that communities are getting the support they need to take on church assets as more buildings go on the market. 

What COSS can offer: increased support to communities through the New Futures: Former Places of Worship programme.  

• COSS began to provide specialist advice with the joint publication ‘your church, your community’, which gives guidance to communities interested in acquiring a church. The COSS churches team are now providing a one-to-one support service with two churches advisors, giving direct advice to communities looking to bring churches into community ownership.  

• Alongside this, we are providing a series of workshops for communities looking to bring churches into community ownership. Topics include the first steps to community ownership, community right to buy, engaging with your community, finance and fundraising and business planning. 

COSS will continue to develop its offering to communities as the New Futures programme develops. 

What communities want to see: 

• Increased support with community right to buy. Due to the speed at which churches are being put on the market, communities need increased support at all levels with the community right to buy, especially as it pertains to late applications, to ensure its efficacy as a mechanism to empower communities and enable community ownership. 

• Greater clarity about which buildings are for sale, and when they will go on the market. Communities have found it difficult to prepare in time for the sale of the church buildings as sales times often fail to match with release dates in the presbytery plans. Increased clarity around planned release dates will allow communities to prepare a bid in advance. 

• Development of a standardised pathway to community ownership. Communities have had inconsistent experiences and advice regarding the potential for them to take on their church building. Attendees desired a clear, consistent approach from the Church of Scotland, and an established pathway to community ownership. 

Conclusion: 

The importance of this moment is hard to overstate as we witness the rapid change in ownership of one of the most significant estates in Scotland. Yet with the right support and advice an opportunity exists for communities to be given the chance to step in and maintain Scotland’s places of worship for generations to come. 

However, there is also a danger that as this moment passes, the opportunity will slip away for many communities, and they will lose their church forever. With so much at stake, all parties must work together, with DTAS continuing to advocate in the interest of our membership, to ensure that those hoping to bring their church into community ownership are given clear and consistent advice at all levels, and an easily understood pathway to follow in order to make an informed choice.