Empty Care Home To Be Replaced By £5M Facility

A Care Home in Aberdeen’s west end which has lain empty for three years could soon be demolished and replaced with a new £5million facility, it emerged last night. The Church of Scotland has announced plans to redevelop its Rubislaw Park Home site and build a 64-bed development for the elderly and dementia sufferers.

The news has been welcomed by the local community which was concerned about the future of the building on Rubislaw Park Road since it closed in June 2003.

It was running at a loss and was deemed no longer suitable for purpose, due to health and safety reasons.

Local councillor Jillian Wisely said the situation over the past three-and-a-half years had caused a lot of anxiety.

She added that hopes were running high that people who were transferred to other facilities in the city when the home closed would be able to move into the new planned development.

The project, which would provide 35 new jobs, is being spearheaded by CrossReach, formally known as the Church of Scotland’s Board of Social Responsibility.

A spokesman for the Church of Scotland said last night it had been in discussions with Aberdeen City Council for some time about the future of the site.

He said the development, which would feature rooms with en-suite bathrooms and communal areas, would meet a need in the city, particularly for dementia sufferers.

The Church plans to lodge a planning application with the council in the new year. If it is approved, the new home is expected to open next summer.

Outlining the plans, the spokesman said: “We are hoping to take the building down and have a new development on the site, comprising residential and dementia accommodation.

“There will be 40 beds for dementia sufferers and 24 residential beds. This will be a state of the art facility which will far exceed Care Commission standards.

“We don’t anticipate any problem getting permission to demolish the existing building, which is not listed. The council has been supportive.”

When Rubislaw Park Home closed down, residents were moved to Ashley Lodge on Great Western Road, run by the Kirk, and Fergus House, a council-run home in Fergus Place, Dyce.

The spokesman said they and 35 staff at Ashley Lodge would move into the new development once it is opened. He added that the Kirk had no plans to retain the building and it was likely it would be sold off.

The development plans were announced at a meeting in Ashley Lodge on Great Western Road.

Councillor Wisely, Conservative member for Mannofield, said there appeared to be no objections about the proposed demolition of the existing building.

“There was a promise to redevelop the site and people appear to approve of the format of the proposed development,” she added.

“My constituents were not pleased with a plan for flat lets, but this has been abandoned in the meantime, which is very good news.”

A spokeswoman for Alzheimer Scotland said: “We would welcome any increase in good quality specialist care for people with dementia.

“There is a shortage in respite and long-term care in Aberdeen, with people often facing a long wait.

“The need for care for people with dementia is set to rise significantly in the next couple of years as the population ages, so it is important to plan ahead for facilities to care for them.”

A spokesman for the Care Commission said: “We are always extremely pleased to hear about the potential development of a service that will meet the Scottish Executive’s National Care Standards.

“When a service provider takes these steps to offer a good standard of environment, it will ultimately contribute to a higher standard of care for service users.”