Plans to convert a former nursing home into a house in a north-east town have been tabled with Aberdeenshire Council.
Turriff was left without any nursing homes last year when care provider, Four Seasons Health Care, which operated Turriff Care Home, pulled out of the town.
The move followed rival firm Renaissance shutting down Glenesk House and led to a petition being created by local people to bring back a service for the community’s elderly residents.
Now, however, a bid has been launched which could dash hopes that Glenesk House could be returned to its former use in the future.
Turriff architects, James G Ironside Ltd, has applied to Aberdeenshire Council on behalf of Artur Wandycz to have the property on the outskirts of the town converted into a place of residence.
At present, no alterations are proposed for the site which once housed 29 patients.
Last night, James Ironside could not comment on what the future would hold for Glenesk House.
He said: “I have no idea what Mr Wandycz’s final thoughts are on the application.
“Basically, I have put in the application and that’s as much as I know. He just wants a change of use from a nursing home to a residential building.”
The petition, calling for a care service to return to Turriff, which was submitted to the local authority, stated: “We have nowhere for our old and disabled to go when they need looked after as the care home we have now is closing.”
Renaissance Care announced last year that Glenesk House was no longer profitable or viable, due to soaring agency fees, which management relied on to care for service users.
