Aberdeen City Council has agreed to seek advice on appealing the decision to award eight multi-storey buildings in the city Grade A listed status.
The inner-city buildings were given the status by Historic Environment Scotland HES last month, on the basis of their “outstanding architectural and historic interest”.
But the listing has proved controversial, with the Scottish Government’s housing minister Kevin Stewart saying it would restrict remedial and repair work on the buildings affecting thousands of people.
Aberdeen City Council co-leader Douglas Lumsden has also said the decision is “unfair” on flat owners and the local authority itself.
The listed multi-storeys are Gilcomstoun Land, Porthill Court, Seamount Court, Virginia Court, Marischal Court, Thistle Court, Hutcheon Court, and Greig Court.
Members of the council’s City Growth and Resources Committee agreed yesterday that the buildings are not of the significance described in the listing, and therefore should not have been given the status.
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They said they would instruct the Chief Officer for Governance to obtain counsel opinion for the possibility of a judicial review, and consult with the co-leaders of the council on whether to proceed.
The committee also passed a motion to write a letter to Mr Stewart, seeking his support in lobbying Scottish ministers to join the calls for an appeal.
Mr Lumsden, who is the committee’s convenor, said: “It is unfair to private owners and the council as owners of most of the flats will have to bear the additional costs that a Grade A listing will cause.
“It is good the committee agreed unanimously council officers should investigate if there are grounds to appeal.”
A report to the committee said there will be ongoing requirements to invest in and improve the properties over coming years, and a listing could add greater challenge to this task.
