Shops could shape the future of the ‘Middlefield triangle’ site after private developers showed “no interest” in turning the area into housing.
It is understood that just six residents currently live on the land in the Logie area of Aberdeen which is set to be demolished for the £30million Haudagain bypass link road first identified in a 2008 government report.
The road aims to reduce pressure on the Haudagain roundabout – once infamously dubbed the worst in Europe.
A small strip of land will be left after the demolitions which had been mooted for either shops and greenery or 72 bedsit flats.
A survey conducted on residents showed that a slim 52% majority were in favour of the shops plan – but there were only 131 responses, despite 2,800 homes being told about the research.
Now, a new report to councillors on the city’s infrastructure committee says that the authority had approached both housing and retail firms to gauge interest in developing the area.
The report reads: “Soft market testing has confirmed that there is interest in retail provision on the site.
“Letters were issued to two potential retail occupiers, three commercial/residential development companies and three housing associations to establish interest.
“The response from the market testing exercise indicates that there is firm interest in developing the site for retail use.
“This is of particular importance to the Middlefield community. Middlefield has the lowest percentage of car ownership in the city. This makes accessibility to retailers very challenging.
“The information provided by private developers shows that there is no interest in developing the site as 72 single person (bedsit) units. However, one developer did suggest that they could build the units on behalf of Aberdeen City Council.”
Northfield and Mastrick North SNP councillor Jackie Dunbar, who has lived in Middlefield for 32 years, said that many of the people now leaving the triangle where seeking alternative accommodation elsewhere in the area where she lives.
She said: “This report should hopefully put an end to the idea that bedsits would be suitable for the area, with both housing associations and private developers ruling out the site for that purpose.
“Residents need certainty and clarity about the plans for their local area and I hope they can get that sooner rather than later.”
