Council chiefs have tabled an extensive rescue plan for a dilapidated swimming pool site which has been hailed as one of Scotland’s forgotten architectural gems.
The art decor Tarlair complex on the edge of Macduff has been mostly dormant since it shut nearly 20 years ago.
Earlier this year, Aberdeenshire Council took steps to secure its future by agreeing to earmark £300,000 for essential repairs and improvements.
The scheme, which is designed to conserve the outdoor pool’s category-A listing, is expected to significantly lower maintenance costs and alleviate health and safety fears.
Now the local authority has submitted an application for the first phase of the work. It involves the restoration of concrete terraces and repairs to the boating pool. New disability ramps and a wave wall will also be built.
Because of the site’s status, listed building consent will be required before any work can begin.
A spokesman for consulting engineers Addison Conservation and Design said: “All the structures at Tarlair have been assessed and can be repaired, reshaped for protection and can be conserved overall.
“This would not just be for cosmetic purposes. Doing it to this conservation plan means that they would be fit to put back into use.”
Last month, the pool was temporarily resurrected as a live music venue for the north-east’s popular Coast Festival.
The two-hour show was the biggest musical event at Tarlair since Wet Wet Wet, Runrig and Jethro Tull played there during the 1990s.
The seaside attraction is more than 80-years-old and, in its hey day, attracted thousands of visitors from the local area and from overseas.
There were earlier calls to restore and reopen the pool as a visitor attraction, but council officers said the work could cost about £2.5million. Councillors agreed a cheaper option of repairs in June, last year.
The pool, designed by Macduff architect John Miller, features on Scotland’s Buildings at Risk register.
The Friends of Tarlair group eventually want to take it over as a community asset transfer, which is being assessed by council officers.