Welcome to Planning Ahead – our weekly round-up of the latest proposals lodged across the north-east.
This week we take a look at a spat over changes to a home on Aberdeen’s exclusive Millionaire’s Row.
Businessman George Stewart is locked in a battle with neighbours over an extension to the Rubislaw Den North house he bought for £900,000.
This instalment also comes after a soggy but popular Aboyne Highland Games, and we will take a timely look at the latest on plans to revive the town’s Huntly Arms Hotel.
But we start with a new addition to Aberdeen’s seafront…
Have a look before a dook
Aberdeen’s golden sands have become an increasingly popular haven for swimmers, surfers and various other watersports fans in recent years.
Now, new efforts are being launched to make sure they know just how safe the water is.
Environment bosses are seeking permission to upgrade a somewhat weathered sign along the Granite City Esplanade.
Martin Marsden, the head of environmental quality at the Sepa, wants to replace the current outdated model with a digital version.
The display will give a better indication of the quality of bathing water, so it’s important for visitors to take note of before popping in for a dook.
Nursery says two extra tots won’t ruin neighbourhood
Back in 2011, Aberdeen City Council granted permission for the house at 357 Great Western Road to become a nursery.
At the time, a rule was imposed stating that only 43 youngsters could be looked after at the west end building.
This was enforced to “protect the residential amenity of the area”.
Now, more than a decade on, operators Bright Horizons want to increase the capacity to 45 children.
They say any impact on the neighbourhood would be “negligible”, amid growing demand for places for children aged 3-5.
Modern sculptures to be showcased outside revamped Braemar hotel
Plans to renovate the Invercauld Arms hotel in Braemar are ramping up.
The rejuvenated venue will bring a swimming pool, gym and mini cinema to the Royal Deeside village a few miles away from Balmoral.
Artfarm, the firm behind the nearby five-star Fife Arms, have promised a “renaissance” for the centuries-old hotel.
And the wealthy art dealers who own it, Iwan and Manuela Wirth, have now unveiled another appropriately cultural addition.
The pair are also co-founders and co-presidents of the internationally acclaimed
art gallery Hauser and Wirth.
They are seeking permission to install a plinth outside the building, which would be one of the first things visitors arriving on the A93 see when they enter the community.
They say it would allow “a wider bracket of people” the chance to appreciate some of Artfarm’s “diverse collection of pieces”, with plans for modern sculptures to be exhibited.
The works on display will change periodically.
Moxon Architects say: “Placing artworks on the plinth will provide link between the hotel’s romanticised Highland style and the current movements of today.
“In doing so, the proposal effectively reinforces the ties between a modern
world and its past.”
The proposal has not yet been decided.
But an image recently shared on social media shows that a towering piece of contemporary art has already been installed at the spot.
Here it is:
“When Soak Becomes Spill” by Subodh Gupta 2015. As a new addition to our presentation of art in Braemar, The Fife Arms is delighted to welcome this acclaimed contemporary artist’s sculpture to the village for both hotel guests & village visitors to enjoy. #thefifearms #braemar pic.twitter.com/ApvyCbNCif
— Ewan Venters (@ewanventers) August 10, 2023
The large sculpture was originally made for the Victoria and Albert Museum’s India Festival in 2015.
Huntly Arms Hotel improvement plans welcomed by campaigners
A few miles away in Aboyne, another downtrodden hospitality venue is being done up…
The Huntly Arms Hotel has been through a lot in the last few years.
It’s been closed down, abandoned, vandalised and even used as a cannabis farm before its absentee owner eventually decided to bring it back to life.
Last weekend, the fenced off venue was a major topic of conversation among passersby as thousands made their into the Aboyne Highland Games across the road.
A recent update sheds more light on owner Jutinder Singh’s major plans to spruce it up, starting with the ground floor restaurant.
All of the windows along the bar front would be replaced, with a new entrance to the pub and eatery, along with refurbished toilets and a new servery.
Mid Deeside Community Council has now officially backed the rejuvenation plans.
Lodging a letter of support with Aberdeenshire Council, they say the proposals will “bring the building back into use in a way that it becomes an attractive asset”.
And, taking to Facebook, the Huntly Arms Regeneration Project celebrated the progress they have been waiting so long to see.
Members said the proposed improvements “look really great”, singling out new French doors which would lead from the upgraded 60-seater restaurant to an al fresco area in the current car park.
Mearns steading could be brought back to life as home
Auchenblae man George Gammie wants to convert a crumbling farm building into a four-bedroom home.
The proposed property at Whinhill would come with its own raised patio and BBQ area.
Wellington House demolition APPROVED
In April, Planning Ahead revealed proposals to demolish Aberdeen’s Wellington House office block – just 16 years after it was built at a cost of £6 million.
After getting off to a successful start, the Altens complex fell on hard times during the downturn.
Owners Knight Property Group struggled to secure any new tenants, and have been left with little option but to flatten it.
The newly approved demolition plan will make way for a new HGV workshop and office on the site.
New Dyce coffee shop rubber-stamped
The owners of Parkhill Garden Centre, at Dyce, have been given permission to open a new coffee shop at the popular site.
There’s already a cafe there, but this new extension will create space for a kitchen, servery and seating area.
There will be a covered al fresco area outside too.
Marshalls farm shop needs permission for infamous tractor
The internet can be a strange place at times, and the owners of Marshalls Farm Shop must have felt baffled earlier this year when a row over their new playground unexpectedly went viral.
In May, a furious mum took to social media to complain about the treatment of her two-year-old son…
She said it was “horrendous” that the boy had been shouted at for climbing on an old tractor that formed part of a recently opened play area.
Owner Kenneth Marshall and wife Moira apologised and said they were just concerned for the tot’s safety.
Nevertheless, a glut of memes followed, as many found the strange situation amusing.
Now, it has emerged that the playground was built without planning permission.
Marshalls is seeking consent retrospectively for the work, which would have to be undone if refused.
John Wink architects has told Aberdeenshire Council that the couple “didn’t realise they required permission”.
Retrospective permission is also being sought for a drive-thru service launched in 2021 to help the family firm survive the pandemic.
At the time, it meant the business could bring four members of its cafe team back from furlough.
As the venue is off the A96 Aberdeen to Inverness road, Transport Scotland will need to be consulted about it.
Row over Rubislaw Den North extension escalates
George Stewart bought his grand property there last year, and wants his family to move with him to one of the city’s most expensive streets.
Mr Stewart wants to form a new extension, with a bigger kitchen, in the back garden. He claims the current one is “inadequate”.
The new addition would offer more room for his relatives to prepare and enjoy meals.
So what’s the problem?
We previously recounted how Mr Stewart is facing opposition from next door neighbour James Halliday, who has branded the proposed structure “wholly alien” to the area.
The neighbours at the rear have blasted it as out of place too, with worries about it setting a risky precedent.
Since then, things have escalated, with Mr Stewart lodging additional reports with the council in an effort to secure permission from officials.
He says “time has moved on” since the mansion was built 100 years ago.
Rubislaw Den North extension ‘speaks the same language’ as famous Barcelona architecture
Mr Stewart adds: “Many older houses now require adaptation to modern living.
“The house will be occupied by myself, my partner my son and his family as a multi-generational home.
“The current layout is not suitable for this purpose.”
He points out that while the extension would increase the property’s footprint by 44%, it would only “increase total accommodation by 18%”.
Mr Stewart argued that the vision for it “captures the essence” of the original Art Deco architect Clement George, who designed the villa.
He added: “This proposal speaks the same language as the Barcelona pavilion that was
designed by Mies Van De Rohe for the 1929 Exposition.”
The proprietor has also listed examples of other extensions in the leafy area.
Aberdeen man says: ‘This is not Barcelona’
Mr Halliday, who lives at 24 Rubislaw Den North, fired back with more reasons why it should be refused, branding Mr Stewart’s latest gambit as “contrived”.
Unimpressed by the continental claims of his neighbour, he noted: “This is not Barcelona.”
He added: “26 Rubislaw Den North is already a large property and is a historically significant building.
“The neighbours most impacted by the proposed development have all objected.”
Queens Cross and Harlaw Community Council has now weighed in on the matter.
They also oppose the extension, saying it “will set a precedent” for others to follow, which “may compromise the integrity” of the street.
Members think it would “harm the amenity and character of this conservation area”.
Would you like to live in exclusive Aberdeen street?
Rubislaw Den North is a broad, tree-lined street in the city’s well-to-do west end.
Its AB15 postcode area once counted 240 millionaires among its residents.
Cramond House could be yours, if you have about £2.5 million to spare.
George Street slots arcade planned
Finally, we travel a few miles to another part of Aberdeen…
The Merkur gambling firm, which runs a casino and slots arcade in the city already, is eyeing up a former Ladbrokes on George Street as its latest venue.
The unit is next to a popular Greggs, so would be ideal for fans of both high stakes and steak bakes.
It’s been on the market for more than four years.
Papers sent to Aberdeen City Council explain that Merkur runs 700 venues across Europe, with its “laughing sun” logo hailed as “a guarantor for the best entertainment”.
Bosses add: “Our venues represent the very best in terms of exciting ‘slot gaming’
entertainment.”
So is it a betting shop?
Merkur Slots says it isn’t. In fact, management bemoan the fact that their “adult gaming centres” are sometimes mistaken for betting shops.
The firm states: “Public concerns surrounding betting shops were largely due to the
presence of fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs).
“Our venues do not offer these types of machines. Our machines are low stakes, ranging from 10p to a maximum of £2.”
They also say that 90% of Merkur Slots “occupy former vacant units”.
You can see this week’s plans for yourself using these links:
Nursery’s small expansion plans
Invercauld Arms artwork display
Rubislaw Den North extension application
New lease of life for George Street bookies
Conversation