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Air base mess could be relaunched as housing

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A former sergeants’ mess at a defunct north-east airbase could be revived as housing.

Plans have been lodged to breathe new life into the building at the old RAF Buchan compound in Boddam, near Peterhead.

Owners Carden Buchan Braes have tabled proposals with Aberdeenshire Council to convert the property into 20 flats.

It is part of a wider ongoing programme to redevelop the former Ministry of Defence base, which changed hands in a deal worth more than £1million two years ago.

The site was rebranded Buchan Braes and developers want to make it into a mini-village.

John Buchan, a partner with the company, said last night: “The sergeants’ mess has been on the market for some time now. It already has planning permission for guesthouse accommodation, but we thought consent for housing might generate more interest.”

The venue presently has 22 single bedrooms, several bathrooms, recreation rooms and toilet blocks. It was built in the mid-90s.

The RAF Buchan site, which was shut down by the MoD despite a hard-fought campaign by locals, was originally bought for £3.5million in 2005 by Grantown-based businessman Frank Strang.

He had hoped to reuse the former military buildings as a leisure and business centre but his company, Buchan Braes Ltd, went into voluntary liquidation in 2009 after being overwhelmed by money problems and the liquidator ordered the sale of the site.

Carden Buchan Braes is now working to develop its mini-village masterplan.

A number of houses, a nursing home, a medical centre, a church, recreation facilities and a shop will be included in the proposals.

A hotel, nursery and several small businesses have already based themselves at the Buchan Braes site.

Planning permission to transform the mess hall into a guesthouse with accommodation for up to 70 visitors was granted in 2012.

Six years earlier, London-based restaurateur Anson Lee was in talks with then owner Mr Strang to turn the building into a Chinese food factory, specialising in takeaway-inspired ready meals.

But Mr Anson withdrew his application after a series of objections from nearby residents.