Work to convert a former children’s home into a block of flats has moved a step forward.
Aberdeenshire Council has put out the tender for the works at Scalloway Park in Fraserburgh.
The home in Fraserburgh closed its doors in 2015 and has been abandoned ever since.
But the building is about to have a new lease of life as six one-bedroom flats to meet demand for council homes in the town.
Now the search is for companies to take on the £585,000 revamp project for Aberdeenshire Council.
Parts of the building’s internal walls will have to be demolished and stripped back.
A document sent out to potential contractors said: “Works include several internal structural changes to the existing building.
“The contractor is to assess procedures for managing demolitions and controlling risks from falling debris.
“All high level work such as downtakings, windows and roof chimneys will require full scaffolding.”
Once a contractor has been appointed, work will begin at the end of July.
Members of the Banff and Buchan area committee gave the project the go ahead at a meeting earlier this month.
Despite receiving the back of the majority of members Fraserburgh and district councillor Brian Topping said he was “100% against it.”
He said: “People are furious because now the council are to save a building which has been lying for there for two years boarded up with graffiti and drug problems.”
Another objector was Wendy Bond, who lives in Scalloway Park, who claimed the move would “bring more grief” to that area of the port.
She said: “The plans are not right for the area. This is already a troubled part of the town and it is getting worse.
“The area in the past has been badly let down by the council. Scalloway Park, Robertson Road, Anderson Court and the surrounding areas have all been badly let down in the past by the council’s poor decision making.
“These plans will only bring more grief to those in the area.”
