The largest ever single grant for an historic building in Northern Ireland has been announced by Environment Minister Sammy Wilson.

Church House in Belfast's Fisherwick Place, the headquarters of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, has been awarded a £1m grant from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) for repairs.

It is the single biggest grant award ever given under the Historic Buildings Grant Aid Scheme for repairs to listed buildings.

Mr Wilson said: "Church House is one of Belfast's best known historic buildings and it is important that an important part of the city’s architectural heritage is preserved for future generations. This grant will go a long way towards ensuring that."

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Church House, a three storey building, was built in 1905 and was opened by the Duke of Argyll. It was built in the style of a Scottish Baronial castle and the crown on top of its tower was based on St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh.

The building was renovated in 1992 to provide more accommodation and houses a 1300-seater Assembly Hall, offices and a shopping mall.

NIEA Conservation Architect Dermot MacRandal said the Grade A listed building was a significant and distinctive part of Belfast's architectural heritage.

Mr MacRandal said: "The building has endured the effects of over 100 years of pollution, weathering and more recently civil disturbance. At its nadir Church House was rather unkindly described by one architectural historian as 'a harsh and craggy pile of Scottish-Tudor stone'.

"Thanks to this £1m grant, the Assembly buildings are now having a chance to reveal their real character. Earlier cleaning exposed the warm tones of sandstone stonework but also revealed extensive decay.

"This major renovation will repair and replace the affected stone, repair the crumbling parapets and replace the roof to secure the historic fabric."

Changes to the NIEA's Historic Buildings Grant Aid Scheme earlier this year mean that most listed buildings are now eligible to apply, increasing the number of eligible buildings by almost 50%.

(PR/JM)