Residents hit out at plan to relocate Deeside care home

Deeside residents have objected to plans to relocate a church-owned care home and build flats in its place. People at Banchory are unhappy about an application to move the Bellfield Nursing Home from the centre of the town to a site on the eastern edge.

The 28-bed building has been deemed “unfit for purpose” by the Care Commission, and the Church of Scotland proposes a new 60-room facility at Hill of Banchory.

The Bancon Group has applied to erect six shop units and 24 flats in its place but the town’s community council has lodged an objection with Aberdeenshire Council about the design of the new flats and the proposed site of the care home.

Chairman Keith White said: “The appearance is upsetting a lot of people, because it’s going to be a bulkier building. It’s going to come right out to the edge of the plot. It’s going to be much larger.

“The other objection is that to put the replacement up at Hill of Banchory is totally in the wrong place. Where it is currently, we could not ask for a better place for old people.”

He said there were also concerns about the choice to include retail units in the design of the replacement building. He added: “We have a couple of empty shops in the village, and there is a fear that, once Tesco comes, which presumably it will, what effect is that going to have?”

The developer is now making efforts to set up a meeting with residents, with the church’s social work arm Crossreach, to discuss the issue.

Bancon planning director Harry McNab said: “We have seen the community’s view on the project and thought it would be useful for ourselves and Crossreach to meet with them. The building does try and echo what is already on the High Street.

“We are trying to echo the urban design theme that exists on the rest of the street. We have got to look at the detail of that.”

He said a meeting would be set after a response is received next week from government advisers Architecture and Design Scotland who have been consulted on the plans.

A Church of Scotland spokeswoman said they were hoping to send a representative to the meeting which could happen next month.