A disused Victorian school site in Royal Deeside will be converted into 24 affordable homes.
Grampian Housing Association has been given the go-ahead to turn the C-listed Ballater Old School building into 12 homes.
A new house will also be constructed in the school yard, alongside 11 newly built flats.
Previous plans to build 26 houses were turned down by the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) planning committee last May amid concerns about the density of the properties on the site.
Much to the anger of locals, who had concerns about the original proposals, Grampian Housing Association successfully appealed that decision.
But following a consultation with residents, a new and more popular application was submitted, which reduced the number of homes from 26 to 24.
Vehicular access was also altered and will now be via Abergeldie Road rather than School Lane as previously planned.
Planning officer Katherine Donnachie outlined her reasons for recommending the application for approval.
She said: “This site is particularly well located in terms of access to the facilities and amenities of Ballater and the proposal is an excellent use of a redundant site.
“To have a listed building of architectural and historical importance brought back into productive use is also extremely positive.”
Deeside councillor Geva Blackett said she was “delighted” with the outcome.
“Ballater needs this low cost housing and Grampian Housing have gone out of their way to work with the community to find a solution in terms of access to the site.
“The Old School has been without purpose for too long and now it will once again serve the community, albeit in a slightly different guise.”
