An Aberdeenshire councillor has demanded urgent action from the authority to stop a psychiatric hospital falling into further disrepair.
Employing the new ‘Member Promoted Issue’ powers introduced in January, Martin Ford has instigated a report into the way forward for Kingseat Hospital near Newmachar.
The historic hospital was closed in 1999 before being taken over by Avant Homes which was granted planning permission for a mixed use development in December 2004.
The company has subsequently created 300 houses at the site, but failed to refurbish some of the existing historic buildings.
And now, the East Garioch member is pressing Aberdeenshire Council to look for more options in an effort to finish the transformation of the former Kingseat site.
Cllr Ford said: “Councillors have been trying to resolve the issue of the stalled development at Kingseat for years.
“The whole purpose of the planning permission was to preserve the former hospital buildings by giving them a new use, but what we actually have is an unfinished scheme without even a children’s play park.
“I wanted to use the new ‘Member Promoted Issue’ provision to put finding a way ahead for Kingseat formally onto the Area Committee’s agenda.
“Clearly, if it was easy to find a solution, then that would already have happened. But however intractable it may be, the council must explore all options for getting the development completed.”
Mr Ford has suggested previously that other ideas could be investigated by the authority such as purchasing the site and completing the development itself.
A member of the Kingseat Community Association, Carrie Zeiler, added: “I think it is about time something was happening and I’m very pleased to see that they are looking at what could be done.
“This has dragged on for so long now that some of the kids who moved here, and have had to make do without a play park, are now all old enough to drive.”
Avant Homes, under the terms of the original planning consent, was obliged to create a children’s park, which has not yet been built.
An Avant Homes spokeswoman said the site was currently for sale, and added: “We have met all of our obligations to date.
“Any future obligations at the development, such as the provision of play facilities, will become the responsibility of the purchaser, once the sale is completed.”
