Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

New ‘storm-proof’ roof for Fraserburgh Heritage Centre, Berryden supermarket plans approved and Westhill office building to become gym

Barry Scott is looking forward to returning Fraserburgh Heritage Centre to its former glory.
Barry Scott is looking forward to returning Fraserburgh Heritage Centre to its former glory.

Welcome to our weekly round-up of the latest planning applications lodged across the north-east.

We can now confirm that council planning chiefs have paved the way for The Food Warehouse to open a new Aberdeen supermarket at the Berryden retail park.

With bulk-buying options, it could make a big difference to household budgets…

And progress on repairs to the storm-hit Fraserburgh Heritage Centre are sure to be widely welcomed.

But first, we have a look at what must be one of the north-east’s most eye-catching abodes…

House that looks like a crab to be repainted

The Crab House, in Johnshaven, has a greenhouse in one of these “claws”. Supplied by Galbraith

The new owner of a crustacean-themed eco home overlooking the Johnshaven shoreline wants to paint the house red.

The Crab House was built in 2014 and put on the market for £375,000 at the end of last year.

Another view of the house resembles a crab. Supplied by Galbraith.

Owner Christopher Pearson has now had to seek formal permission to give it a fresh lick of paint, due to its location in a conservation area.

Have a look at the stunning Crab House in this video:

NEW | THE CRAB HOUSE, JOHNSHAVEN 🌊Detached eco-friendly home in around 0.57 acres on the beautiful Kincardineshire coastline with open sea views. Designed by the present owners, we love how passionate they are about the property and we feel it truly shows in how unique and special it really is.☎ Contact Amy Price and Hannah Christiansen on 01224 860710 or email aberdeen@galbraithgroup.com. 💻 www.galbraithgroup.com/property/abn210165-the-crab-house-west-street-johnshaven-kincardineshire-dd10-0hl#ExpertsInOurField #OnTheMarket #Exclusive #PassionateAboutProperty #NewToTheMarket #HomeByTheOcean #Johnshaven #Kincardineshire #LoveWhereYouLive #LiveWhereYouLove

Posted by Galbraith Aberdeen on Thursday, 2 December 2021

His plan is to repaint it with an “opaque rustic deep red oil” to protect the timber from UV light.

The scarlet hue may also give the “crab” the appearance of being boiled – perhaps appropriate in our current temperatures.

What a view! Supplied by Galbraith.

Carden Place office becoming home

The former home of the Campbell Dallas chartered accountants in Aberdeen could soon be a “high quality five-bedroom” home on Carden Place.

There are many abandoned office buildings in Aberdeen’s west end.

David Sinclair is seeking permission for the changes, which include turning a rear car park into a garden.

Aurora Planning says repurposing the three-storey granite villa will “address the challenge of climate change by reducing the need for new development” in the city.

It could soon have a new residential use.

Aurora adds: “The building has been marketed for its current office use since September 2020, with limited interest.

“There is little to no prospect of number 23 being relet or sold for office use any time
in the short to medium term.”

Drum Castle cottage revamp

Visitors having fun at Drum Castle.

The new owner of the “charming” Gardeners Cottage at Drum Castle has secured permission for an extension – and a new workshop and garage next to the property.

The building, which was sold for £250,000 last December, is near the entrance to the Deeside estate.

Explore the charming 'Gardeners Cottage', set within the historic Drum Castle Estate and steeped in Scottish…

Posted by Aberdein Considine on Thursday, 29 October 2020

Andrew Black will now be able to build a new kitchen, utility room and vestibule.

Would you like to live in old Drumoak Post Office?

Nearby, the former Post Office in the Deeside village of Drumoak could soon be turned into a new home.

This image from Google Maps shows the former Drumoak Post Office.

The Nether Sunnyside building has lain empty since its closure in 2019.

Now, an application put forward by Colin Donald seeks to change its use, with the former Post Office itself becoming a sitting room.

No glass ceiling on ambitions for Fraserburgh Heritage Centre

This drone image from April shows the extent of the damage. Picture by Kenny Elrick

Fraserburgh Heritage Centre was one of the north-east’s high profile victims of Storm Arwen last autumn – with devastating gales tearing the roof from the coastal museum.

Hundreds of irreplaceable artefacts were left exposed to the elements, but most were rescued “remarkably” intact.

Another image of the damage. Picture by Kenny Elrick

Since then, volunteers from the Fraserburgh Heritage Society have been dreaming of the day they can reopen the attraction – which is owned by Aberdeenshire Council.

And now they have been given renewed hope, with plans lodged for a new roof.

How the new pitched roof will look. Image supplied by Aberdeenshire Council.

‘Light at the end of the tunnel’

Charity co-director Barry Scott believes the proposed replacement “looks a lot more suitable”.

He added: “The new design seems better equipped to handle high winds.

“Everybody is keen to get back and get things moving.

“For us, we can’t really start planning anything until we get that new roof in place – it’s the foundation we need.

“This gives us that bit more light at the end of the tunnel.”

Barry Scott outside the centre in February. Pictures by Jason Hedges

Barry added that, since being ripped apart, the building has come to “look like a doocot” with scores of new pigeon inhabitants.

Following the “positive step” of the roof replacement scheme, he is hopeful it could be back in action by the end of next year.

Posted by Fraserburgh Heritage Centre on Thursday, 16 December 2021

The roof will also cover the storage area of the neighbouring Museum of Scottish Lighthouses, which was also forced to evacuate items in the aftermath of Arwen. 

Cove Rangers fanzone trial could be extended

Cove Rangers are seeking permission to keep their Balmoral Stadium social club, known as a “fan zone”, in place for another three years.

This aerial picture from Google Maps shows the Cove fan zone next to the entrance.

Club bosses say attempts to trial the popularity of the temporary unit, which also has a players lounge and office, were waylaid by the pandemic.

Papers sent to the council say Cove has “not been in a position to review its permanence” even though it has “proven successful when in use”.

🔵 𝙁𝙖𝙣 𝙕𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙍𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 ⚪We are delighted to confirm the Fan Zone at the Balmoral Stadium will reopen ahead of Saturday's…

Posted by Cove Rangers Football Club on Thursday, 21 October 2021

A letter from consultants Halliday Fraser Munro says that temporary permission for another three years will mean management can “consider the need for the structure in a post-Covid time”.

It comes after the club put in plans for new stands to accommodate a growing number of supporters. 

Former Optimus base at Westhill to become gym

This image from Google Maps shows the unwanted office building at the Westhill business park.

The former offices of the Optimus engineering firm at Westhill’s Arnhall Business Park could become a new gym.

Optimus moved into the unit in 2010 but is now based near Aberdeen Harbour.

Meanwhile, the building was snapped up prior to an auction last year.

Steve Marples, Chief Executive of Optimus Seventh Generation outside the building in 2010.

Now, proposals have been lodged by Specialist Valve Services Ltd to transform it into a gym.

Blueprints show how it would have a weights area on the ground floor with a fitness suite, treadmills and cross trainers upstairs.

There is a lot of office space available along Prospect Road.

The Food Warehouse supermarket on the way to Berryden

Aberdeen City Council has almost completely cleared the way for a new supermarket to open in the Berryden retail park.

Planning chiefs have given the go-ahead for a series of alterations at the former Mothercare unit, beside Currys.

The retail park previously applied for permission to change the use of the unit.

The plans have been months in the making.

In January, we explained how retail park bosses applied for permission to change the use of the unit after struggling to offload it.

And in the spring, The Food Warehouse declared its intentions to take over the building. 

This design image shows how the Food Warehouse Aberdeen unit will soon look.

The council has now approved plans to create the new shopfront, with sliding doors being installed.

And a separate application for internal changes has also been rubber-stamped.

The Food Warehouse in Elgin offers a glimpse of how the Aberdeen shop will look,

The Food Warehouse is run by the firm that owns Iceland, and describes itself as one of the UK’s “fastest growing supermarkets”.

Its arrival will be good news for those paying closer attention to their budgets amid the cost of living crisis…

One of its trademark selling points is offering “bigger pack options” allowing shoppers to “stock up for less on all your favourites”.

And in May, it announced a scheme where customers older than 60 can get 10% off whatever they spend on Tuesdays.

Other aspects of the plan, such as signage and a refrigeration plant, are still awaiting a decision – though no objections have been raised.


Do you think Aberdeen needs another supermarket? Let us know in our comments section below


Outdoor centre upgrades

Finally we look at plans for The Sir Arthur Grant Outdoor Centre, in Monymusk, which was built as a school in 1890.

It was opened for the 10th Baronet of Monymusk, who it is now named after.

The building has been in use as a residential centre since 1962, having been done up in 1978 to commemorate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee and again in 1992.

This image from 1975 shows the Sir Arthur Grant Residential Centre as it was then. Supplied by Live Life Aberdeenshire

The council’s Live Life Aberdeenshire sports and culture body describes the C-listed facility near Kemnay as one of the region’s “well kept secrets” and an “ideal venue for activities”.

It sleeps up to 30 people, providing the perfect base for exploring the great outdoors.

Another view of the Monymusk site, showing the extension added in 1992. Supplied by Live Life Aberdeenshire

Now, LLA wants to “modernise” the building and create a new shed and workshop.

The new addition would provide storage space for outdoors equipment, and form a base for the council’s LLA team.

They say bringing it up to scratch, and slightly increasing capacity, will make it “more suitable” for school and community groups.

This image from Google Maps shows the building dusted by a sprinkling of snow.

Planning documents state: “Currently use is sporadic and primarily booked-out by schools and uniformed groups.

“Following the works, the site would be a multifunctional hub for Live Life.

“There will be opportunities for meeting/conferences/training, space for maintenance of equipment and a base for a number of the team.”

The outdoor centre is nestled in the countryside, offering stunning views towards Bennachie. Supplied by Live Life Aberdeenshire

Under the changes, there would be two new accessible bedrooms.

The full list of upgrades includes a complete rewiring and roof insulation.

And if approved, works will begin next year with the revamped centre reopening in early 2024.

You can see the plans for yourself using these links:

Crab House at Johnshaven

Carden Place office

Drum Castle cottage

Drumoak Post Office

Fraserburgh Heritage Centre

Cove Rangers fanzone

Westhill gym

The Food Warehouse Aberdeen supermarket frontage and internal alterations 

Sir Arthur Grant Residential Centre plans

Conversation