Nightclub bosses have been ordered to repair a historic church spire ripped from their building during Storm Arwen.
Gale-force gusts blasted the heavy piece of masonry from the top of The Priory club on Aberdeen’s Belmont Street.
Chunks crashed through the roof of the neighbouring Revolution bar.
The spire was soon surrounded by scaffolding in an urgent bid to stabilise what remained of it.
But, amid little sign of progress, the council recently imposed an enforcement order demanding that the structure be restored to its former glory.
Why did Aberdeen City Council order Priory spire repairs?
The building was formerly the St Nicholas Congregational Church, but it’s better known to generations of revellers as The Priory nightclub.
It had been closed for several years before being reopened by The Epic Group shortly after the storms caused chaos.
The group, run by businessman Mike Wilson, also also operates Prohibition on Langstane Place and owns the Chaophraya building on Union Terrace.
In January, the local authority’s planning enforcement team raised concerns about the A-listed landmark “potentially falling into a state of disrepair”.
It’s one of many buildings that officials feel are letting the city centre down.
Months of talks ensued, as officers advised on the work needed.
Nightlife kingpins ‘appreciate urgency required’
Given its prominent position in the Aberdeen skyline, consultants Ryden say The Epic Group understand the need for the repairs.
They say: “The urgency of the required repair works is fully appreciated by our client and their appointed design team.
“The proposal is a near like-for-like repair and replacement project, involving only limited use of non-traditional materials.”
Priory spire will be reinforced with steel beams
And they insist the new spire will “match the other spires as closely as possible”, since the old one was “damaged beyond repair” when it plummeted to the ground.
The project is similar to work currently under way at Marischal College, where a section of stone parapet was blown from the roof in Storm Arwen.
Wondering why Marischal College is covered in scaffolding just now?
A few months ago, our weekly Planning Ahead round-up explained how repairs were needed after Storm Arwen destroyed stone parapets at the top of the tower. @pressjournal @EveningExpress https://t.co/cRApcaqJpz pic.twitter.com/U0goGoEzAW
— Ben Hendry (@BenHendry1) April 25, 2023
The tower structure atop The Priory will be “reinforced” with steel beams to ensure it can withstand any future stormy weather.
Engineers Macleod and Jordan have produced detailed blueprints, and will scale the building to carry out the work if it’s approved by Aberdeen City Council.
Do you think the repairs should have been carried out already? Let us know in our comments section below
Why is the Priory building so significant?
The church was built in 1865, and designed with the specific intention of being “eye-catching”.
When it was granted A-listed status, heritage buffs said it was “designed to be viewed from a distance, particularly from Union Terrace”.
They added: “The tall tourelles (towerlets) at each corner of the building are overscaled to give it even greater landmark presence, providing a valuable contribution to Belmont Street and the wider Aberdeen skyline.
“The Italian Romanesque style is unusual for Aberdeen.”
The final religious service was held there in 1995, before it was reborn as a club.
You can see the Priory spire repair plans here.
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