Council planners have paved the way for an urban village to be built in the heart of Aberdeen.
Local authority officials have given their backing in principle to a multimillion-pound project which will transform the historic Broadford Works site.
Proposals tabled by developer Ferness Investment Holdings include private and student apartments, restaurants, cafes and bars, as well as offices and shops.
The city council’s planning department approved the scheme under delegated powers.
The plans for almost 900 units – which were submitted to the local authority in February – also include studio workshops and gallery space, as well car parking and open areas.
The developer will now have to produce a detailed timetable for when each phase of the massive regeneration project will be delivered.
Ferness Investment Holdings is registered in Guernsey and is a consortium of investors.
It is aiming to emulate similar urban village projects in Manchester, Glasgow and Leeds.
Ferness said its scheme would be “residential-led” and
Dating back to 1808, Broadford Works houses the largest collection of at-risk listed buildings in Scotland.
Demolition is being carried out on the site of some of the buildings after years of neglect since the former Richards textile factory closed its doors in 2004.
It became a frequent target for vandals and fire-raisers until new security measures were introduced last year.
The site had been earmarked for a £50million redevelopment for years, with owner Ian Suttie having consent for more than 500 homes, commercial units, restaurants and a nursery.
However, with no sign of the proposals coming to fruition, Ferness stepped in.
Aberdeen City Council’s planning convener Ramsay Milne said the proposals would create an “entirely new and distinctive” neighbourhood.
He said: “Broadford Works is a site of great significance in Aberdeen and the decision represents the next stage in plans for its redevelopment.
“The scheme will create an entirely new and distinctive city-centre neighbourhood, all the while preserving the most important listed buildings on the site and retaining its industrial heritage and character for the residents of Aberdeen to enjoy.”
The development was approved subject to a number of conditions, which mean no work can start without transport, waste and parking management plans being submitted for consideration.
Each unit will also have to connect to the city’s district heating network or an onsite network.
The decision to approve the project was made on the eve of a special event focusing on Broadford Works
Tomorrow. an exhibit from the Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives and the city’s museum collection will feature material and artefacts showcasing the history of the buildings.
At one time Richards was the biggest manufacturing employer in Aberdeen and in its heyday employed up to 3,000 staff
Plans of key buildings on the site, including the New North and South Mill and the Bastille, from the archive’s building warrant collection will also be on display as well as footage of Broadford Works from the collections of the National Library of Scotland’s Moving Image Archive.
The exhibition will be held in the Town and County Hall at the town house in Broad Street between 11am and 4pm tomorrow.
