One of the UK’s biggest housebuilders is moving into the Aberdeen market after being granted permission to build over 300 homes in the Bridge of Don.
Persimmon Homes – which has revenues of nearly £3billion per year – looks set to spend £36million transforming the site of the old Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre.
Planners have granted permission in principle for a total of 333 homes on the wasteland where the city's main arena once stood.
The AECC became redundant in 2019 when P&J Live was built near Aberdeen International Airport.
Demolition of the AECC’s main arena – which played host to some of the biggest names in showbiz between 1985 and 2019 – was carried out in 2021, after work was initially delayed due to the pandemic.
Planning documents confirm that Persimmon Homes is now the owner of the full site following a nationwide marketing effort by joint agents Savills and J&E Shepherd.
It is promising a “high-quality residential development” on the 14 hectare site, which shares a border with the historic Royal Aberdeen Golf Club.
Of the 333 homes, 88 will be affordable homes according to the firm’s planning statement. Persimmon intends to invest £35.8million in the site, with the development estimated to generated nearly £500,000 per annum for Aberdeen City Council in tax receipts.
News of the planning permission follows a number of strategic hires by Persimmon as the FTSE-listed giant turns its eyes north.
Late last year the firm appointed Kate Narro to the role of Senior Land Manager for north Scotland, joining a team comprising land director Robert Patrick, senior land manager, Iain McGouldrick and development planner, Kenny Mitchell.
Persimmon is the UK’s third largest housebuilder, building over 13,500 homes per year, and has been linked with a bid to buy Aberdeen-headquartered CALA Homes.
CALA also has plans to develop a new community near the old AECC, on the recently demolished Silverburn House complex in the Bridge of Don.
It wants to build 72 homes where offices once stood and is investing more than £5.5million in the project. The proposals feature a mix of 54 three, four and five-bedroom detached homes, as well as 18 one and three-bedroom affordable properties in line with planning requirements.
Silverburn House was previously headquarters to some of the North Sea oil and gas industry’s biggest companies, including Occidental, TotalFinaElf and GE Energy.
However, the complex was demolished in 2019 after an oil price slump left the building vacant. It has since become an unsightly gateway to the Granite City, and an unwelcome draw for fly-tippers.
CALA wants to completely regenerate the site and has put forward plans for homes together with a “welcoming frontage” along the city’s northern entrance, the A92 Ellon Road.