‘None of us are getting any younger…’ Plea for redundant school to be replaced with new Milltimber care home

A primary school outside Aberdeen could be turned into an “increasingly needed” care home when children move into their new building.

The future of Milltimber School was debated by city councillors, with all agreeing a new purpose should be found for the Monearn Gardens site.

Lower Deeside councillor, Tauqeer Malik, is leading calls for it to become a retirement community.

New Milltimber retirement home is necessary

It comes months after plans for a so-called “geriatric ghetto” up a steep hill outside Milltimber were quashed by the local authority.

Among many concerns was the fact that elderly inhabitants would be cut off from the community.

Under Mr Malik’s suggestion, care home residents would be brought into the heart of the village when children relocate to the £21.9 million school at Oldfold Farm.

‘There will be older people looking for this type of facility’

During the meeting of the capital programme committee, he as

ked officers to set aside cash for it to be demolished during the 2022/23 financial year.

He said knocking down the building would be “vital” to the community as it would prevent vandals from causing damage.

He thinks a study should then be carried out into possible future uses.

Mr Malik said: “I believe there is a growing need for a care village type accommodation, as well as residential family living for over 55s.

“The truth of the matter is that none of us are getting any younger.

“The demographics are that there will be older people looking for this type of facility in the near future.”

He also asked if Aberdeen City Council could control the site over another developer.

Fellow ward member Marie Boulton agreed.

She said: “It is important that we do have the school site demolished as quickly as possible.

“We want to be prepared for this so that we don’t have any unnecessary costs to the council and that we don’t have a derelict site.”

The motion was unanimously backed at the meeting, and options will be brought back to the committee in June.

The school site will not be marketed for sale until it is complete.

When will new school open?

Construction work started at the replacement Milltimber School in August.

This followed the news that it would be delayed by a year, with the blame being placed on builders too scared to travel to Aberdeen over Covid risks.

The Milltimber building should now be ready by the spring.

It will have 14 classrooms and an activity area along with an all-weather 3G synthetic sports pitch.