FEARS for the future of the resting place of one of Renfrewshire’s most historic figures have been eased.
Habbie Simpson, who lived from 1550 to 1620, was Kilbarchan’s town piper and villagers are known as ‘Habbies’ to this day.
His significance to the village’s history is also marked every year at the Lilias Day celebrations.
READ MORE: Grave concerns over Habbie’s resting place
However, there were concerns his grave could be left to ruin after Kilbarchan West Church and its adjoining hall were put on the market for a combined price of £175,000 back in 2017.
A move to convert the historic church into flats has now taken a giant leap forward after Noah Management and Developments submitted proposals to Renfrewshire Council.
The Glasgow-based developer wants to transform the church into 17 apartments and create a landscape garden for residents to use.
Simpson’s grave lies just beyond the proposed boundary for development by Noah, in council-owned land, leading to fresh calls for guarantees to be given over its future upkeep.
One of the firm’s directors, Paul Winocour, said Noah would stage an initial tidy-up at the site but stressed that Renfrewshire Council would be responsible beyond that.
He said: “We will certainly tidy up the site but the ongoing maintenance will be the responsibility of the council.”
A council spokesperson added: “Ensuring a site of such importance to the village is protected and preserved will be of utmost priority.
“In terms of the proposed development, we understand the grave lies within land which would continue to be maintained by the council.
“This is a very recent planning application that has been submitted and we are still working through the detail of the proposals.”
The plans would see the removal of the church’s existing gallery, the raising of the ground floor level and installation of two new windows.
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Developers will also create a 24-space car park for exclusive use by residents.
Kilbarchan West Church, in its current form, was consecrated in 1901 but closed in 2015 following a controversial merger with Kilbarchan East Church.
A spokesperson for Kilbarchan Community Council said: “We’re pleased that iconic buildings within the conservation area of the village will be utilised and provide a range of housing opportunities while retaining the key architectural features of the building.”
A decision on Noah’s planning application is expected to be made in May.
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