A former Aberdeenshire school site will be used for new housing, offices and a health centre after a masterplan was finally approved.
The old Ellon Academy was demolished in 2017, and the land at the top of Schoolhill Road in the town has been vacant ever since.
And this week, after years of effort and consultation with the local community, councillors on the Formartine Area Committee officially approved a new vision for the site.
The masterplan contains three distinct areas, one dedicated to residential development, another which will include a health centre, and a final section which will include office and community facilities, as well as homes.
Speaking at the committee this week, chairwoman Isobel Davidson said: “I absolutely welcome this.
“This does open up enormous opportunities in the town centre, which we need to look very carefully at, because we’re in such changed times and it’s difficult to know how much impact this will have on how we use our towns.
“I’m very pleased to see space for a new health centre to be created by the health board when that time comes.
“Money will be an issue there, but that’s a health board hurdle to overcome.
“And I’m really pleased to see social and supported accommodation included, though we do need to get the mix right, and in the right places.
“On the whole I absolutely welcome it, and I look forward to seeing the detail when it comes along.”