Ambitious plans to convert the former Strachan School into a home have suffered a setback as councillors refused a proposed access route.
The school near Banchory opened in 1877 and was once thought to be among the smallest in Scotland.
Aberdeenshire Council mothballed the facility in 2017 due to decreasing pupil numbers and it was eventually closed for good in 2021.
The building was put on the market last July with offers over £110,000.
However, Mr and Mrs N Middleton snapped it up with the intention to turn the vacant site into a house.
What was planned at the former Strachan School site?
The couple lodged plans in the summer to create a vehicular access to the building.
They noted that most of the walls surrounding the site are “generally in good condition” but one had been “severely compromised” by trees growing against it.
So, they wanted to take it down to form a vehicle access point as there is currently no parking spot for cars on the site.
Under the proposal, the existing playground would have been lowered to make way for the new area.
Feughside Community Council had backed the proposal said the plan would ensure “a prominent site in the centre of the village doesn’t become derelict”.
Member Iain Adams added: “Since its closure, attempts to find alternative uses for the site have been unsuccessful in part due to uncertainty over vehicle access.
“As a result, the school remains empty and will, in time, fall into disrepair.”
‘Quite literally an accident waiting to happen’
But council planners recommended it be refused as they argued the access would create a “significant road safety risk” for those travelling through the village.
They didn’t mind the idea of the building being changed, however.
Council chiefs believed it would be unsafe due to the lack of visibility for vehicles leaving the former school site.
Senior planner Neil Mair even told the Marr area committee it was “quite literally an accident waiting to happen”.
He explained that there was a need for good visibility as it is a busy road and traffic often travels faster than the 30mph limit.
What did councillors say about the access?
Councillor Gwyneth Petrie told the committee that she couldn’t approve the plan as she believed it was “just not going to work”.
Do you think they made the right decision? Let us know in our comments section below
Her colleague councillor Eileen Durno added: “We all get inboxes full of people complaining about the speed of traffic through towns and villages.
“For safety reasons, I couldn’t go against the planning recommendation.”
She suggested the applicants look for an alternative access and reapply for planning permission in the near future.
The committee agreed with her and unanimously decided to reject the application.
Read more:
Conversation