ECD Architects has won planning permission for an offbeat extension to a Scottish church that will deliver a competition-standard climbing facility – and turn a famous bible quote on its head.

While “upon this rock I build my church” is one of the most frequenly quoted lines from St Matthew’s Gospel, the Fife town of Lochgelly is seeking to build a rock-climbing centre on one of its churches.

The historic St Andrew’s church has been empty since 2006 and last year underwent a £736k programme to repair it and make it ready for the introduction of bouldering walls – as part of the first phase of a project to reinvent the building as a climbing centre to boost health, wellbeing and the local economy.

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