Issue - meetings

That the Council:

(1)           Notes with concern that the “A” Listed Building Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, latterly known as Woolmanhill Hospital, has fallen into a state of disuse; and

(2)           Instructs the Chief Officer - Strategic Place Planning to:-

(a)   identify the current owners;

(b)   contact the owners to seek assurances in respect of making the buildings safe, secure, and watertight in the first instance;

(c)   ascertain what are the owners’ plans and timescales for the redevelopment of the site in a manner compatible with its “A” listed status;

(d)   identify the enforcement powers available to the Council should the owners fail to co-operate;

(e)   seek the support and advice of Historic Environment Scotland, the Scottish Government and the King’s Trust in relation to the restoration of what is a building of national importance; and

(f)    report to the relevant committee(s) in relation to the instructions within no more than two meeting cycles.”

The Committee resolved:-

(i)            to note the Woolmanhill Hospital, Skene Street site was not owned by Aberdeen City Council;

(ii)           to note that planning permission was granted by the planning authority in 2019 (reference: 160801) for residential and hotel development on the site; and

(iii)         to instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to liaise with the developer around site security and development progress and to provide a service update to this Committee by August 2025.

The Committee had before it a Notice of Motion from Councillor Bonsell, referred from Council on 11 December 2024, in the following terms:-

That the Committee:

(1)       notes with concern that the “A” Listed Building Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, latterly known as Woolmanhill Hospital, had fallen into a state of disuse; and  

(2)       instructs the Chief Officer - Strategic Place Planning to:-

(a)  identify the current owners;

(b)  contact the owners to seek assurances in respect of making the buildings safe, secure, and watertight in the first instance;

(c)  ascertain what were the owners’ plans and timescales for the redevelopment of the site in a manner compatible with its “A” listed status;

(d)  identify the enforcement powers available to the Council should the owners fail to co-operate;

(e)  seek the support and advice of Historic Environment Scotland, the Scottish Government and the King’s Trust in relation to the restoration of what is a building of national importance; and

(f)   report to the relevant committee(s) in relation to the instructions within no more than two meeting cycles.”

The Committee resolved:-

(i)            to note the Woolmanhill Hospital, Skene Street site was not owned by Aberdeen City Council;

(ii)           to note that planning permission was granted by the planning authority in 2019 (reference: 160801) for residential and hotel development on the site; and

(iii)         to instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to liaise with the developer around site security and development progress and to provide a service update to this Committee by August 2025.