Plans have been put forward to demolish an Aberdeen church and sell off the site for redevelopment.
The general trustees of the Church of Scotland have decided to demolish the Garthdee Parish Church.
The building has been empty for nearly a year and is often a target of vandalism in the area.
Garthdee Parish Church has been struggling in terms of managing charity governance responsibilities and resources since 2013 – leaving the site in a “poor state”.
The Church of Scotland has previously said that the building is in need of hundreds of thousands of pounds of urgent repairs in order to stay open.
A Church of Scotland spokesman said: “The Presbytery of Aberdeen and Shetland worked tirelessly with local office bearers to try and find a positive and long-term sustainable solution to financial challenges and declining numbers to try and ensure the congregation continued to serve at the heart of the community.
“Dissolution of the congregation was the last resort after an extensive and lengthy process of consultation and discussion during which the congregation was unable to reach a compromise position that would have seen a church presence of some kind continue in Garthdee.”
Garthdee Parish Church had served the local community since 1950.
Local organisations and members of the church joined forces in attempt to save the church in 2018, after it was announced it could be demolished due to the high cost of maintenance and dwindling congregation.
Following a campaign by the Garthdee Community Council, the Presbytery of Aberdeen proposed a merge between Garthdee Parish Church and Mannofield Church, which would have created a new united Church with a new facility in Garthdee for outreach and mission work.
Although the proposal was welcomed by minister and office bearers at Mannofield, members of the Garthdee congregation voted against the merger.
The current plans for demolishion of the Garthdee Church Parish mean that the congregation will be dissolved, with all assets transferred to the general trustees of the Church of Scotland.
The Presbytery will continue to serve the community of Garthdee and the Parish is now overseen by South Holburn Church, which is keen to develop outreach into the community as soon as COVID-19 restrictions allow.