Aberdeen City Councillors have approved plans to stop re-letting the estimated 276 homes potentially affected by the proposals for a new link road between North Anderson Drive and Auchmill Road – subject to a Scottish government go-ahead for the A90/A96 junction improvements.
A majority on the Housing and Environment committee agreed that the move would allow the City Council to "hit the ground running" if Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson approves the Haudagain roundabout scheme, which Aberdeen city councillors have already backed.
Councillors said stopping re-letting the properties would mean they would be empty in time for demolition to start, in order to make way for the new dual carriageway link.
The committee agreed that 30 homes could be kept on meantime as temporary homeless accommodation.
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Members pledged that new bases will be found for the Middlefield Project, Pathways Employment Services and the Healthy House services.
And the committee agreed to press the Scottish government for further details about its financing commitments should the road scheme proceed.
The committee heard that any lost green space would be replaced elsewhere in the area, including the "Haudagain triangle" of land within which homes would eventually be demolished. Demolition of properties would be carried out in phases, with landscaping of the flattened areas to prevent the area being blighted.
Committee Convener Councillor Aileen Malone said: "This is a project that should be welcomed by people in Middlefield and across Aberdeen as a whole.
"We have laid the groundwork now for Middlefield regeneration to really press ahead. We will ring-fence any money from land sales to make sure it is pumped back into that community. And we are paving the way for the land to be made available for the link road to go through to relieve the pressure on the Haudagain bottleneck, which is the worst in the city.
"We will do our very best for the tenants and the property owners in the area, many of whom have lived in Middlefield for a long time. We will consult the community at every opportunity and take on board their views.
"We are committed to getting this scheme right – and the early decisions we are making will show the Scottish government that we are ready for regeneration and ready for the Haudagain scheme."
Director of Housing and Environment Pete Leonard stressed that what ever the Scottish government's decision on the Haudagain scheme, Aberdeen City Council was committed to Middlefield regeneration.
(GK/KMcA)
