A former north-east care home that has lain empty for over a year could be transformed into affordable houses.
Blythewood Care Home, in Port Elphinstone, was put on the market by Aberdeenshire Council after being replaced by a new £10million facility.
The council’s Garioch area committee agreed to the sale of the ageing building to Bill BT Ltd at its meeting on December 20.
The behind-closed-doors decision was only revealed with the recent publication of the official minutes.
The terms of the sale included a requirement that 50% of any housing development on the site be affordable.
The council minutes state: “A report by the director of business services was circulated detailing the terms of sale for the former Blythewood Care Home.
“The committee agreed to approve the sale of the former Blythewood Care Home to Bill BT Ltd on the basis of 50% affordable housing provision for the entire site.”
Some aspects of the deal remain to be finalised.
Chairman of the Garioch area committee, Lib Dem Fergus Hood, said the inclusion of affordable homes as part of any future development is something councillors welcomed.
He added: “I think it is a positive move that the site has finally attracted an offer that has been supported by the area committee and the council.
“The site was obviously vacated when the new Bennachie Care Home was built, which has been a tremendous success.
“The site has been empty for a while. I think everybody is just pleased somebody has come forward and made an offer which can now be progressed to a planning application.”
The council has around 14,000 people on its waiting list for council homes.
Residents left Blythewood Care Home and moved into the brand new Bennachie View, on the edge of the Garioch town, in autumn 2015, with staff described it as like going from “dark to light”.
Bennachie View features 60 bedrooms, eight semi-detached cottages and an NHS Grampian dementia facility.
