Fresh plans have been submitted for a new mortuary serving the whole of the north of Scotland, just months after it was approved by council chiefs.
Proposals for the North East Scotland and Northern Isles Integrated Mortuary at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI) were officially given the green light by local authority planners in January.
However, just seven months later a new design has been submitted after a review was carried out, leading to several “significant” changes by planning consultant Keppie Design.
The footprint of the mortuary building now extends beyond the boundary of the site permission was granted for, meaning a new application has had to be submitted.
Under the new design, the main building has been repositioned while the boundary of the site has been revised.
Some parts of the structure, such as the garage, have been reduced in width, while the size of the service yard has also been altered.
Increased privacy for families
The new mortuary will increase the amount of privacy families have and improve the quality of service, according to the developers.
It will also include learning and teaching facilities on the upper floors.
“The new building will provide integrated mortuary services for the north-east of Scotland and the Northern Isles within a single facility,” a statement submitted alongside the new application reads.
“Central to the design solution is the requirement to improve privacy and dignity for the bereaved and to create a welcoming environment for their families.
“Extensive stakeholder engagement has been undertaken with members of staff and representatives of bereaved families to ensure that the building responds to the key principles of the client brief.
“This includes privacy and dignity within the bereavement suite, maximising opportunities for natural light in clinical, circulation and office spaces, and reducing the mass of the building to create a domestic scaled environment.”
Once completed, the new mortuary will replace two existing sites, both of which are ageing.
One is located at Queen Street police station, which is soon to be demolished, while the existing ARI mortuary was built in 1935 and is described as being in “poor physical condition”.