Agenda item

Reference was made to article 29 of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 12 November, 2009, at which time there was under consideration by way of a remit from the Education, Culture and Sport Committee, a report by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport regarding specific vacant properties which it had been decided be declared surplus to Service requirements and disposed of.  The resolution of this Committee at the said meeting was to agree with the decisions taken by the Education, Culture and Sport Committee that the properties at Hilton Nursery School, Victoria Road School, St. Peter’s Nursery School and the Broadhill Depot, be declared surplus and disposed of; and to also approve the recommendation that the vacant Greenfern School be demolished and that tenders for the work involved be obtained.  The Committee now had before it a report by the Director of Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure which contained an update on the status of a number of former Education, Culture and Sport properties now declared surplus and also updates regarding other surplus properties.

The report advised with regard to the former Victoria Road Primary School, St. Peter’s Nursery School, the former Weaver’s Shed in Mackie Place, the former Hazlehead Gate Lodge, the former Broadhill Depot, the former Skyline Restaurant in the Bon Accord Centre and the former Woodlands Special School, all of which were once under the control of the Education, Culture and Sport Service and in respect of which either an interest has been expressed by another Council Service (Victoria Road School, Broadhill Depot);  further investigations of a legal nature were required (Weaver’s Shed, Mackie Place);  due to the location, more detailed work was required on a number of issues (Hazlehead Gate Lodge);  a separate paper had been presented in relation to a possible future use (Skyline Restaurant – article 20 of this minute refers);  or negotiations were required on the Council’s behalf (Woodlands Special School).  In all cases it was confirmed that further reports on the outcomes would be brought forward.  Also covered by the report was (1) the former public toilet building at High Street, Old Aberdeen, declared surplus by Neighbourhood Services (Central) and in the absence of any interest by another Council Service, would now be sold; (2) the Aberdon and Croft Care Homes, reports in respect of which were before this Committee in September, 2009;  and (3) the Victoria House building in West North Street, under consideration by the former Resources Management Committee in May, 2009.   In all three cases the report indicated that work on the option appraisals was currently ongoing and that reports to the Housing and Environment Committee and this Committee were likely in February/March, 2010.   The former depot at Ruthrieston Road, which was also previously considered by this Committee in September, 2009 and was now to be advertised for sale on the open market, was also referred to within the report.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)         to note the position with regard to the former Victoria Road Primary School, the former Weaver’s Shed, the former Hazlehead Gate Lodge, the former Broadhill Depot, the former Skyline Restaurant, the former Aberdon and Croft Care Homes, and the former Victoria House;

(ii)        to authorise the Head of Resources Development and Delivery to market the former St. Peter’s Nursery, the former public toilets in High Street, Old Aberdeen and the former depot at Ruthrieston Road, and to submit a further report to the appropriate meeting of this Committee in due course detailing the results of the marketing;  and

(iii)       to authorise the Head of Resources Development and Delivery to enter into negotiations with the landlord of the site of the former Woodlands Special School, with a view to agreeing an appropriate exit strategy for the Council and to report back to this in due course on the outcome.