Interior of St. George's Tron Church

[HollowHorn]

but that's a pretty, er, thorough intervention for a 200 year old A-listed church....

My thoughts exactly. Is it the case that if a building is A-listed, you can do whatever you like to the interior?

[gap74]

From Historic Scotland's Memorandum of Guidance on Listed Buildings (since replaced by a document called SHEP, but with similar guidelines - I'm guessing these works started when the former was still applicable though):

CHURCHES
Works to listed churches in use do not at present require listed
building consent. However, the Housing and Planning Act 1986
contains an order-making power to limit the scope of this exemption.
During the currency of this revision of the Memorandum, it is
expected that this power will be used and that proposed works to the
exterior of listed churches will become subject to listed building
consent. Religious denominations or groups wishing to retain
exemption for internal works will be required to establish their own
systems of control which meet guidelines to be set out in an Order
covering the changes.

EDIT: The relevant sections from SHEP:

Under the terms of section 54 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation
Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 any ecclesiastical building which is for the time being
used for ecclesiastical purposes in Scotland is exempt from the need to apply for
listed building consent. The exemption for ecclesiastical buildings does not cover
the demolition of a listed ecclesiastical building, since by definition ecclesiastical use
must cease before demolition is carried out. Neither does it apply to any works
to a former ecclesiastical building which has passed into secular use or which is
disused. Exemption does not apply to a building used or available for use by a
minister of religion as a residence. Similarly, listed churchyards taken over by local
authorities as graveyards are not exempt from the requirement to obtain listed
building consent for works to those graveyards.

Notwithstanding the exemption, there is a voluntary arrangement currently in
place and agreed by Historic Scotland, the Scottish Churches Committee and
COSLA, in consultation with the Scottish Society of Directors of Planning. Under
this arrangement it was agreed to apply listed building control to buildings used
by certain denominations in respect of works proposed to the exterior of churches
in ecclesiastical use. The following denominations only, being members of the
Scottish Churches Committee, are included:

Associated Presbyterian Churches
Baptist Union of Scotland
Church of Scotland
Free Church of Scotland
Free Presbyterian Church
Methodist Church in Scotland
Roman Catholic Church in Scotland
Scottish Episcopal Church
United Free Church of Scotland
United Reformed Church Scotland Synod (formerly Scottish Congregational
Church)

[Quality Mince]

Certainly looks good. I am not convinced the pews and other interior woodwork should be painted with gloss paint. A pity the wood was not restored to its original form as shown in the third of HollowHorn’s first set of pictures. But nonetheless good job.

[dave2]

|The pews were gloss painted prior to this refit, so in some sense they carry the old look through to the new one.

[DMcNay]

Any sign of the war memorials? One used to be at the entrance and the other was on the left hand side wall of the church.

Can't see them in any of your pics, but I assume they've been moved.

[HollowHorn]

Sorry, D, meant to post this in the memorial thread:

This one is now located at the foot of the balcony stairs, I never noticed any others.

[DMcNay]

In other words they've taken two very impressive memorials and replaced them with a pishy wee glass plaque. Fuds.

[DMcNay]

Hollowhorn, I hope you don't mind but I've posted your pic on my forum.

I'm going to go in next week and find out what happened to the original plaques. If they've been removed I'd like to at least know they're in a safe place.

[HollowHorn]

Ask about the organ pipes, the chandelier & the pulpit, while yir at it.

[BenCooper]

What I'm wondering is how long the two plasma screens bolted to the outside will last