Plans for more than 30 flats on the site of a former Aberdeen asylum have formally been approved by council officials.
Last year Cala’s proposals to build a development consisting of 32 homes at May Baird Avenue were given the backing of councillors, who voted to demonstrate their willingness to approve the application.
Now the development has officially been given the green light by Aberdeen City Council chiefs, paving the way for work to begin.
The flats, which will be built on the site of the former Elmhill House asylum, will be constructed over four-and-a-half storeys and will include additional works such as car parking.
Initial plans for 36 homes at the set were withdrawn in October 2019 and replaced with fresh proposals, with the number of flats slightly reduced.
Flats ‘will provide high-quality accommodation’
Outlining the decision to formally grant planning permission, Aberdeen City Council’s development management manager Daniel Lewis said: “The proposal would result in the retention of a significant proportion of the green space, along with the mature trees and those along the site boundary.
“The proposal would provide high-quality accommodation with both private and communal amenity space for occupants of the mainstream flats, as well as affordable housing within a mixed tenure community, all of which is located with good access to public transport links and relatively close to facilities in Rosemount and Berryhill.”
Cala’s land director Ross MacLennan said previously: “We believe this development will bring much-needed high-quality apartments to the city centre.
“We carefully considered feedback from local people and other key stakeholders to ensure these new apartments are in keeping with their surroundings.”
Concerns over green space
Last year the city council’s planning development management committee gave its consent to the proposals despite a motion to reject them by Midstocket and Rosemount councillor Bill Cormie.
At the time, Mr Cormie argued the council was “slowly eroding every bit of green space in the area”.
However, committee convener Marie Boulton said: “When you live on the edge of the city centre you have to be prepared to make a level of sacrifice. Our officers have gone a long way to find an acceptable solution.”