East Garioch Councillor Martin Ford
With thanks to Martin Ford.
East Garioch councillor Martin Ford has expressed his frustration at the lack of scope for Aberdeenshire Council to pressure the developers into resuming work on the unfinished development at Kingseat.
Planning permission for a mixed use development based on the former hospital site at Kingseat was granted on 9 December 2004. The first new homes at Kingseat were completed on 21 February 2006 – so some residents have now been living in an unfinished development for nearly ten years.
Cllr Ford wrote to Aberdeenshire Council’s head of planning and building standards on 21 October 2015 calling on the Council to see if it could get work resumed at Kingseat.
The Council’s reply states:
“we cannot insist upon a developer restarting development unless there is a particular issue with the condition in which the development has been left that would require Council action. In this case these have been considered and discounted. “
Cllr Ford said:
“On the core issue of getting work on the stalled development restarted and completed, Council officers have looked at the options and powers available to the Council. Unfortunately, their conclusion is that in the circumstances the Council cannot compel action by the developer – Avant (formerly Bett) Homes – to complete their development.”
In his letter of 21 October, Cllr Ford raised a number of other concerns – besides non-completion – relating to the unfinished development at Kingseat. These included the absence of the promised children’s play area, the security and safety of empty buildings and the lack of maintenance of the former hall.
In the planning service’s reply to Cllr Ford, officers have confirmed that action has been taken to secure the undeveloped area owned by Avant and that action can be taken over the maintenance of the hall.
“I have asked officers to advise what the Council plans to do about the hall maintenance issue,” said Cllr Ford.
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I am a visitor to my family who live on the Kingseat site in a new build but adjacent to an apartment conversion of one of the original buildings. I am an 85 year old retired doctor and am enjoying the multiple opportunities for long walks around the estate which has many refreshing designs of new build houses..
HOWEVER I am appalled by the state that the remaining undeveloped original buildings are in.
So many of them have great character and would make attractive new homes it sadly many are being left to deteriorate and will ultimately be beyond economic restoration and redevelopment.
One wonders if this is the forward plan of the owner of the site.
I have researched that ownership and have copied these comments to him.
N