Places of Worship: Planning Forward

An interactive conference for all stakeholders engaged with or interested in the future of buildings that currently serve as Places of Worship, or have previously done so, in all parts of Scotland.

Date: Wednesday 27 August 2025

Time: 10am-4pm

Venue: The Pyramid at Anderston, 759 Argyle Street, Glasgow G3 8DS

Purpose: A participative conference bringing together planning authority decision makers and those actively involved in: owning, managing or running places of worship; funding places of worship; giving heritage advice, and any national organisation that has an interest in the sustainability of communities who may become owners of places of worship to:

• Share best practice;

• Highlight case studies;

• Discuss how best to approach the busy pipeline of pending applications;

• Explore perspectives from planning decision-makers, practitioners and communities.

Participants are warmly invited to bring questions, ideas, opportunities and case studies to the event to support cross-sector collaboration and strategic approaches to the future of these buildings.

Planned outcomes from event:

• Enhanced knowledge of the current policy and practice context for Places of Worship;

• A range of case studies highlighting challenges and best practice approaches

• Better understanding of how live cases are being dealt with in practice;

• Stronger connections between local government conservation and planning officers, the Places of Worship Forum Members and other stakeholders;

• Recognising the challenges (and opportunities) facing theses special places – what strategic approaches are needed?

About the venue: The Pyramid in Anderston is located close to Glasgow city centre. In the 1960s, a modest local church was redeveloped and expanded into The Pyramid, a complex with a large place of worship alongside 21 other rooms. As with many church buildings in modern Scotland, the congregation had diminished, from 400 in the 1960s to just 15 by the late 2010s, by which point much of the building was in poor condition. These factors led the Church of Scotland to list it for sale. An extensive period of planning and fundraising led to its being taken into community ownership in 2019 and refurbished. It now operates as a multi-functional community hub, run by a local Community Trust, providing an ideal setting for the themes of the conference. Please click here for a map and directions.

Accessibility information:

• All the spaces within The Pyramid are accessible via platform lifts, except the Lower Hall, which is via stair access only. The lift to the first floor is located in the foyer, and disabled toilets on the ground and first floor are right next to the sports hall and classroom respectively.
• There are multiple seating options in the foyer.

Cost: £11. Free for Members of the Places of Worship Forum, Conservation Officers Group, and general BEFS Members.