Plans to develop a memorial site to the Lockerbie air disaster and its victims have taken a step forward.
The council this week agreed to an asset transfer deal for a nominal fee of £1 with the Tundergarth Kirks Trust.
The move will see the charity take ownership of the Memorial Room site within its cemetery along with the neighbouring Auld Kirk ruin.
The trust plans to develop the building to provide “an all-around experience for those wishing to learn about Pan Am 103, Lockerbie and all those affected by the tragedy of December 21, 1988”.
In addition, the ruin is to be renovated to create a building on the south side with a solar roof while using the interior as a columbarium for storing funeral urns.
The asset transfer was one of three ratified by the council’s finance committee on Tuesday.
Councillor Carolyne Wilson, who chairs the committee, said: “Our council is committed to empowering communities and in agreeing these asset transfers, we are doing just that.”
In a submission to the council, the trust said: “By connecting the Memorial Room and the kirk, visitors will be able to experience the story of Pan Am 103 and then spend a tranquil period of contemplation in the kirk.
“Tundergarth Kirks wishes to offer an all-year-round facility to both the local community and to those who travel and visit the Memorial Room.
The room is open 24/7 and, since 1990, it’s estimated that 50,000 people have visited to pay their respects. The trust plans to seek funding for the project from Historic Environmental Scotland, and windfarm developers.
