Welcome to our weekly round-up of the latest planning applications lodged across the north-east.
The holidays are over and summer is drawing to a close, but there are still a few things for us to look forward to…
Stonehaven ice cream fans will be relishing the return of the Harbour Hut parlour as we reveal that Aberdeenshire Council has approved those highly popular plans.
And fitness enthusiasts could soon have a new Aberdeen city centre gym to sample, with plans lodged to transform a long-vacant social club.
Meanwhile, trouble continues to brew over plans for a new drive-thru Costa in Inverurie – with the community council now stepping into flag concerns.
West end oil office could become home
We start with yet more plans to transform abandoned Aberdeen offices into new homes – which is becoming something of a recurring theme.
Firstly, the old Repsol base at 44 Carden Place has been earmarked for transformation by Fulton Properties Ltd.
Offices on the basement level would be turned into a study and games room, while there would be a large lounge and dining area on the ground floor.
Meeting rooms and offices across the first and second floors would be turned into five bedrooms.
Have a nose around the building in this video released when it was put on the market:
Albyn Place house scheme approved
Meanwhile, the unsightly former home of corporate finance firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) at 31-32 Albyn Place will be turned into two five-bedroom homes.
The building, which dates back to 1887, has been empty since the company moved into The Capitol office complex in 2016.
The front has become overgrown, and windows have been boarded up.
The plans put forward by Peter Anderson will mean a large office extension at the rear is demolished to create a garden and parking area.
Plans for new horse stable annoy next door neigh-bours
Horse owner Aimee Cumming wants to relocate some stables at her field near Tarland, as the wooden structure is currently on uneven ground.
She says the doors don’t shut properly, “which is a hazard with horses inside”.
But her plans to move it closer to Strathweltie neighbours David Hirst and Kathy Dale have left the pair somewhat long-faced.
They say it could saddle them with unwanted problems…
Their objection to Aberdeenshire Council states: “There is likely to be odour which will be detectable in the garden and possibly even in the house.”
And although they say there would be “some noise” from the horses, their main objection is people “routinely” passing by their property 40m away to visit the animals.
The council’s environmental health chiefs have confirmed they have no objections.
McDonald’s playframe
With consent in place to start work on the Craigshaw development, McDonald’s has now been granted permission for an extra addition…
The burger chain will put up a colourful climbing frame outside the drive-thru diner.
It will be in an enclosed patio area at the end of the site closest to Wellington Road.
Port Elphinstone newsagent plans to rebuild shop
Over the last few years, we have all come to rely on our local shops that bit more.
And now the owners of a popular newsagent in Port Elphinstone want to demolish their building and erect bigger premises.
Owner HM Singh Enterprises bought the Port Paper Shop in 2017.
Though successful, they say it is “very restricted for space” and “particularly awkward for parents with children in buggies and the elderly” to make their way around.
This was an issue that really came to the fore while social distancing requirements were in place.
Papers submitted by Aberdeen-based Deemount Design add: “In recent years, there has been an increase in local demand.
“As well as space for ease of movement within the shop, the owners would like to bring in more and a wider range of stock to provide an improved service.”
And HM Singh says the only way to do that is to “start from scratch”.
The firm is applying for permission to demolish the store to make way for a “purpose-built” replacement at the Elphinstone Road site.
Inverurie Costa causing a stir
In July, Planning Ahead detailed the battle taking place over plans for a new Costa drive-thru in Inverurie.
Since then, locals have continued to have their say – with 20 public objections compared to three letters in support.
Now, in their role as consultees, Inverurie Community Council has raised issues with the global coffee chain’s Harlaw Road aims.
Though officially “neutral” on the matter, members say they have identified several problems after “gathering residents’ views”.
Those potential problems include traffic troubles in the area, with a knock-on effect on the town, litter, the risk of flooding and dangers for pedestrians visiting the shop.
But the community council adds there is “some support for the type of facility proposed, potential for employment opportunities and the benefit to the local economy”.
A Banffer’s home is his castle?
The distinctive gatehouse at the entrance to Banff Castle could be converted into a pair of apartments.
The Banff Castle Community Association has put forward plans to divide the building – which is currently a single house.
Blueprints sent to the local authority show how each apartment would have its own “studio” space.
The kitchen on the ground floor and two bedrooms upstairs would be converted under the revamp.
The moon and Banff Castle at no-tide this afternoon. #ScotlandIsNow #vistabdn pic.twitter.com/YNT3w59uwk
— Banffshire Tourist Hub (@BanffshireH) September 21, 2019
The A-listed mansion next to the castle ruins on the site dates back to 1750 and is now used as a community and arts venue.
The council’s archaeology department has given the flats scheme its blessing as it will have no impact on the scenic surroundings.
Stonehaven Harbour Hut comeback confirmed
After being backed by dozens of locals, plans to bring back Stonehaven’s much-missed Harbour Hut ice cream shop have been approved by Aberdeenshire Council.
Owner Vickie Alexander closed her parlour beside the port a few years ago, but recently began looking into reviving her business in a former fishing shack nearby.
As detailed in Planning Ahead last month, the plans proved very popular.
By the time the council made its decision, 47 letters of support had been received – with not a single objection.
The reborn Harbour Hut will operate from a building next to the historic Tolbooth at the Old Pier.
It comes at a time when the nearby Seafood Bothy has formed similar plans to take over another old fishing hut – though the local authority is yet to decide on those.
Old social club could become new Aberdeen city centre gym
The derelict former Aberdeen Trades Union Council social club on the Adelphi has quite a history.
It closed in 2012, owing £39,000 in debt to Aberdeen City Council, after a stormy few years.
By the time the doors closed, it was the only Trades Union Council left in Scotland and had been part of the city for more than 150 years.
Here’s how the Evening Express covered the closure in 2012:
Tommy Campbell, regional organiser for Unite at the time, said it was a “sad day”.
He also mentioned the club’s proud history of helping workers and fighting for women’s rights – a past now recognised with a mural beside the building.
In 2014, hopes were raised for the site’s future when it was put on the market for £240,000.
But it has spent the past decade falling into disrepair.
This video from October 2020 shows the dilapidated state of the building:
Does Aberdeen need more fitness facilities? Let us know in our comments section
Now plans have been put forward to turn the site just off Union Street into a brand new fitness facility.
Developers, the Adelphi Brothers Ltd, want to turn the 5,700sq ft property into a new Aberdeen city centre gym across the lower ground and ground floors.
They say it would not affect the flats on the upper levels.
Scroll back and forth to see how the building would be changed:
You can see this week’s plans for yourself using these links:
Old social club becoming Aberdeen city centre gym
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