An eyesore site at the northern entrance to Aberdeen is to be transformed under a multimillion-pound investment by CALA Homes.
The developer has lodged detailed plans to build a new community 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.
Construction could begin within months, and all homes will have electric vehicle charging incorporated as part of the design to support Scotland’s net zero ambitions.
The development will also benefit from a large natural landscaped area along the route of the Silver Burn, a redundant water course which gave the area its name.
Lynn Melvin, Senior Land Manager at CALA Homes (North), said the project will deliver much-needed houses and restore biodiversity to a site which has been commercial land since the 1980s.
She said: “CALA has been creating communities in the Bridge of Don for a number of years and we are delighted to be moving forward with the Silverburn project.
“While currently a brownfield site, this location is a ready-made community, with existing retail, community services and employment opportunities all within close proximity.
“This application returns a rather unsightly area back into use as residential property - a positive outcome, particularly in the context of the national housing emergency which we currently face.
“We will also be restoring the Silver Burn to create a natural landscape feature which will benefit residents and contribute positively to the biodiversity of the area.”
The Silverburn site borders Cloverhill, where a new community of over 500 homes is underway. Nearby land at the old Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre is also earmarked for future housing development.
Silverburn already has planning permission in principle for 119 homes, including 30 flats, but CALA has scaled the site back to allow for more green space.
Its planning statement adds that its focus on homes rather than flats is driven by a desire from purchasers for private outdoor space following the pandemic.
It will unlock a cash injection for local community facilities in the Bridge of Don, as well as a financial contribution towards a new path linking Cloverhill and the coast.
And it will generate several million pounds for the public finances through council tax and land and buildings transaction tax receipts.
Silverburn will be the latest Aberdeen investment by CALA, as it plays a key role in creating housing, jobs and economic growth across the North-east of Scotland.
Ms Melvin added: “At CALA, we’re also always on the lookout for exciting land opportunities to transform new sites into our exacting standards of high-quality homes.
“By proactively purchasing land in the North-east, we can continue to deliver thriving, sustainable new communities that highlight the very best in living that Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire can offer.
“If successfully approved, we will work with local charities and organisations as part of our Community Pledge initiative, which provides donations, volunteering time and school programmes in the local areas in which we build.
“We look forward to receiving a decision from Aberdeen City Council in due course.”