A PLAN to breath new life into a dilapidated Gorbals church designed by Alexander "Greek" Thomson has been given the green light.

A PLAN to breath new life into a dilapidated Gorbals church designed by Alexander "Greek" Thomson has been given the green light.

Glasgow planners and politicians have backed the multi-million pound scheme, which was exclusively revealed by the Evening Times earlier this week, to transform the historic building into a venue for Thomson fans and art lovers.

Caledonia Road Church has lain empty for four decades since it first opened in 1856.

For 100 years it was the hub of the community until congregations began dwindling in the latest 1950s.

The Grade A listed building eventually closed its doors in the early 1960s and has lain empty ever since.

Vandals have struck repeatedly over the years and ground floor windows were blocked off to prevent access. Now the iconic building is to be given a new lease of life.

The Alexander Thomson Society has been given planning permission for a £4.5m masterplan.

Officials hope to obtain grants so they can fuse 19th century architecture with a 21st century living design.

They plan an upgrade which will include three galleries, a public study containing Thomson material, meeting rooms, a cafe bar and 10 luxury apartments for the exclusive use of tourists.

The ambitious project was revealed in the Evening Times. We told how the apartments would be used to boost income and hopefully avoid any need for the society to apply for grant aid every year.

All that remains of the church is it's tower, entrance and enclosing walls.

Society secretary Sally White said: "We have tried to have a very sensitive approach to how we deal with the main part of the building. We want to conserve what is there but we will not be recreating all the missing details."

The plan excites Neil Baxter, secretary of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, who enthused: "The building as a shell is tragic - re-using it could be triumphant."

And he acknowledges improvements being made to the area and insisted: "The emphasis needs to be on quality and providing something the people of the regenerated Gorbals deserve."