Photographic studio

A 100 YEARS old former church building in the centre of Lerwick is set to be transformed into a photographer’s studio.

On Tuesday, Shetland Islands Council’s planning committee granted local businessman Malcolm Younger planning permission to refurbish St Clement’s Hall, in the town’s St Olaf Street.

The committee also granted consent to repair roof coverings, windows, doors, guttering and downpipes of the C-listed building.

Younger said he was delighted to have received permission to go ahead with his plans.

“It is good to be involved in getting an old building back into an exciting use,” he said.

He intents to convert the inside of the church into a large photographic studio with associated office space.

Planners described the proposals to convert the church as “well considered so as to cause minimum impact on the character of the listed building”.

The building is currently still owned by the council who had put it on the market last year.

St Clement’s Hall was opened in 1911. It was used as parish hall for Lerwick Parish Church, but also as accommodation for many Dutch and other foreign fishermen.

It was sold to Lerwick Town Council for recreational use, in 1966. In the late 90s it was regularly in use as accommodation for bazaar type stalls, including Chris Hodge’s.