Work begins on creating new discount supermarket in Aberdeen

Work has begun on transforming a former Aberdeen electrical shop into a supermarket, after unpopular plans to convert it into student accommodation were ditched.

Lidl will open its sixth store in Aberdeen on the site of the former Currys PC World on Hutcheon Street.

The firm left the site about three years ago and developers earmarked the building for a huge block of student accommodation, flats and serviced apartments comprising 650 beds.

But the proposal proved unpopular with locals, who said that part of the city was “swamped with big student accommodation complexes”.

Raglan Development later opted not to proceed with the scheme, blaming “changes in the market”.

While the future of the site remained uncertain, charity Forces Support used it to sell second-hand goods.

But it cleared out of the building recently, and fencing has now been erected around it to keep people out while the Lidl renovation is performed.

Michelle MacLeod is the secretary for George Street Community Council.

And while the group is yet to discuss the development, she said: “We have quite a lot of student flats in the area, so I wouldn’t be sad if there’s not more.”