Welcome to our weekly round-up of the latest planning applications lodged with Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire councils.
With the fuel crisis continuing to bite, this week we have good news for Stonehaven residents desperate for a new petrol station.
We also feature plans for a new take-away at what some reckon is the “most dangerous spot in Aberdeen” for the business.
And the Peterculter TSB building left vacant for more than a year could soon be turned into a state-of-the-art vet practice.
Shrink downsizing to smaller office
But first, an Aberdeen psychotherapist is relocating from its base on Jopp’s Lane, near George Street, to a basement office in Bon Accord Square.
The Possibilities Counselling and Psychotherapy Centre is an independent business which has helped “many thousands of the citizens of Aberdeen” since 2012.
Bosses say they now need to downsize “because of the Covid pandemic and other factors”, with the proposed new basement premises perfect for the “confidential nature” of the operation.
A letter sent to the council from psychotherapist Tracey Johnston adds: “The service we offer is very discrete and quiet.”
Aberdeen City Council has been asked to approve the change of use for the former office.
Kintore Town House plans approved
An Aberdeenshire charity’s ambitions to breathe new life into a historic landmark have been approved by the local authority.
But first, the tricky bit. Action Kintore need to raise more than £1 million to see their vision become a reality.
Camphill School to knock down book shop for ‘zero waste’ shop
Camphill School, an independent school for children with additional needs, is seeking permission for a new building at its Murtle Lodge site.
The charity wants to flatten the “currently under-used” Camphill bookshop, just off the A93 North Deeside Road, and modify the house attached – which they say is “no longer in living condition”.
Under the scheme, the redeveloped building will become a “zero waste” social enterprise store.
As the “public face for Camphill school”, it would sell produce grown on the grounds and allow visitors to learn more about the charity.
Blueprints lodged with the council show how the property would be transformed, with the ground floor being divided into areas for selling household products and whole foods.
Upstairs there would be storage space and offices.
These design images reveal how the building could look after the proposed makeover:
Holburn Street take-away could be city’s ‘most dangerous’
Plans to turn an old office on Holburn Street in Aberdeen into a new take-away have already set nerves on edge…
The former M&M Services building off the Garthdee roundabout has been branded “the most dangerous place to have a take-away”.
Grant Bjorkelund says the plans, lodged by Myameen Ltd, “simply can’t go through”.
He adds: “An accident waiting to happen, it’s the most dangerous place to
have a take-away.”
The council’s road department seems to agree.
Their response states: “Given that the site is immediately on a roundabout and adjacent to two very busy roads, one of which is a dual carriageway, this does not appear to be a well suited location for a food take-away.”
Permission needed for pet donkeys’ stable
An Aberdeenshire man has been given permission for a stable to house two pet donkeys.
Ben Plouviez has already erected the buildings, but needed the council’s approval to keep them up – and to turn part of his garden into grazing ground.
A recent viral video showed how affectionate donkeys can be towards the humans looking after them:
WATCH THIS DONKEY REUNITE w/ THE PERSON THAT RAISED HIM #LoveIsBlind ❤️💯 pic.twitter.com/wt8aUUNs4d
— Urgent News (@UrgentNews911) May 24, 2021
Peterculter TSB to become vets
Last week, Planning Ahead featured plans to turn Huntly’s old TSB into a new whisky shop.
And now another north-east unit left empty as a result of bank closures is in line for a new lease of life – with Ashgrove Veterinary Centre keen to take over the former Peterculter TSB.
Vet and partner in the firm, Kevin Barclay, believes the new premises would help them “improve the service” offered to poorly pets.
And it wouldn’t be much of a flit from their current base a few doors along on North Deeside Road.
Papers submitted to Aberdeen City Council add: “This development will also give the practice the opportunity to employ more local people.
“The proposed development will be used for veterinary purposes to provide an exceptional level of care for sick animals.”
One man’s trash is another’s treasure…
That is the adage being put into practice with an eco drive at Aberdeen’s Hazlehead recycling depot.
Bosses are seeking permission to build a new “re-use area” to prevent perfectly good items cluttering up landfill sites when they could find loving new homes.
Under the scheme for the Grove Nursery plant, the “shipping container-style unit” would be used as a sales point with two new employees overseeing it.
Sights like these, captured by TV personality Danny Baker, can be heartbeaking for record collectors:
Once again for all the vinyl collectors out there.
Those records dumped in huge skip at Greenwich Council Tip.#Inaccessible pic.twitter.com/BpbB2ye4QS— Danny Baker (@prodnose) May 1, 2022
Operators Suez Recycling and Recovery UK say it has “significant experience” in running such outlets at other locations in England.
Suez says items from recycling sites across Aberdeen will be offered up, “rather than sent for recycling or disposal”.
The firm adds: “Suez anticipates that the re-use area will effectively assist in reducing the number of reusable items entering the waste stream.
“They are re-using items from Aberdeen in the local community, benefiting the people of Aberdeen.”
Stonehaven petrol station prayers answered
Some good news for the scores of Stonehaven residents who wrote to Aberdeenshire Council demanding that plans for a new petrol station be approved.
With the cost of living crisis continuing to bite across the north-east, many argued in favour of an extra choice in the town when it comes to filling up their car.
Among the 42 people expressing support was Tony Spencer.
He said: “We need this investment in our town and certainly with the current prices at the pump, need an alternative to the current offerings…
“Maybe a bit of competition will do them no harm.”
Eric Mathers said: “Stonehaven is desperately crying out for some competition in this area.”
Morrisons want to include a petrol station with their new store in Stonehaven. What do you think? 🤔https://t.co/SIL2h1Quaa
— The Press & Journal (@pressjournal) March 11, 2022
Stephen Rennie said: “The current fuel station offerings in Stonehaven are poor. Even with the additional fuel used, it is cheaper to drive to Portlethen and fill up.”
The plans, lodged in March, have now been rubber-stamped by council planning chiefs.
The six-pump petrol station will be built as part of a new Morrisons supermarket at the Ury estate.
Aberdeen church offices to become homes
For the past several weeks we have reported a growing trend in Aberdeen with developers eager to transform unwanted offices into flats.
And now, Carden Studios has put forward a scheme to turn long-vacant offices at the back of the former Melville Carden Place church into homes.
The church, with its towering spire, was built in 1882 and is Category B-listed.
When the congregation moved to Queen’s Cross in 1989, it was split into the two-storey Six Carden Place office complex.
These plans are for the annexe to the main church building, which was also converted into offices and studios at that time.
The annexe at 32 Albert Street has been empty since 2017, due to the struggling local property market.
The landlord gave up whatever slim hope remained of finding new tenants when the pandemic made the situation even worse.
Now it could be turned into a pair of two-bedroom flats, with one on the ground floor and one on the first floor.
Feel like supporting any of the plans, using your right to object… Or do you just fancy a look? Follow these links:
- Psychotherapist relocation
- Kintore Town House
- Camphill plans
- Holburn Street take-away
- Pet donkeys
- Peterculter TSB
- Recycling centre’s sales cabin
- New Stonehaven petrol station
- Aberdeen church offices
