A historic Aberdeenshire primary and its adjoining school house could be safe-guarded for community use for almost 200 years next week.
Aberdeenshire Council’s Garioch area committee are being asked to back proposals to lease Westhill’s Old School and adjoining schoolhouse to local charity, SensationAll, next Tuesday.
The organisation caters for children and young people with multiple support needs, including disabilities and learning difficulties.
The charity has outgrown its current premises in the sports pavilion on Westhill’s Lawsondale area, and is struggling to meet the demand for its services there.
SensationAll uses the school buildings for activities but is seeking to make the facilities its main base of operations through a community asset transfer (CAT) next week.
Currently the buildings are used by a number of local groups for a range of activities, whilst South Aberdeenshire Swimming also occupy an office there.
The council’s head of education and children’s services, Maria Walker, said the proposals going before the committee offers “significant community benefit”.
She added there would also be huge financial benefits for Westhill.
The South Aberdeenshire Swimming office would remain based at the school buildings, while the facilities would continue to be available for local groups to use.
Mrs Walker added: “The calculation of the net community benefit gives an estimated positive addition to the community of around £1,000,000 over a 25-year period.
“The buildings are old and in a relatively poor state of repair, although they are wind and waterproof.
“However, although there is some use it is accepted by the council that the building is underused.
“The lease will likely be at below market value as the business case demonstrates significant community benefit.”
The charity would be leased the facilities on a £1 per annum rental agreement for a period of 175 years, though it will not be given “outright ownership” should the group face “financial difficulties in the future”.
The school buildings are valued at £250,000.
The terms of the lease would require the playground area adjacent to the school to be made into parking spaces.
However, SensationAll has committed to re-instate the park in the building’s garden area for public use if the CAT is granted.