Controversial plans to demolish an historic Aberdeen primary and replace it with dozens of new homes could take a step forward next week.
Barratt Homes want to demolish the 19th century Victoria Road primary in the Torry area of the city and construct 56 homes, along with open space and parking.
Members of the planning development management committee will meet next Thursday to debate the plans, but council officers have recommended they defer their decision and not hold a public hearing about the plans.
The housing firm previously lodged a bid to have the school demolished and replaced with housing earlier in the year, but withdrew the plans after strong opposition from residents.
A mass demonstration and a public hearing was held where many residents voiced their views to the company.
And the current plan has already received around 560 objections with concerns raised about the loss of the historic granite building.
Torry Community Council has called for the renovation of the Victorian facility, so it can be brought back into use as a new primary school for the area.
But their hopes were dashed by the council’s education committee this week when they unanimously selected the current Torry Academy site as the future location for a new primary facility.
The Victoria Road school was built in 1838 and closed its doors in 2008. A petition was launched last year to save the “heritage” building, which gained more than 2,000 signatures.
Douglas McLeod, regional director at Barratt Scotland, has previously said the new homes will make use of “new and existing” granite.
The report to councillors read: “As a similar previous application was subject to a public hearing and the representations received to the current application raise no new issues, a public hearing is not recommended for this application.”
