Planners recommend partial demolition of Broadford Works

Plans to demolish a significant part of Aberdeen’s historic Broadford Works building to make way for a £100 million ‘urban village’ have been recommended for approval.Developer Inhabit plans to transform the former textile factory into 460 homes and accommodation for 430 students. The ‘urban village’ will also include commercial office space, shops, restaurants and cafes set in a landscaped environment.The site, which has lain vacant since 2004, was once home to the largest collection of category A-listed buildings at risk in Scotland.The city council’s planning committee has been urged to approve plans to demolish parts of the Grey Mill, including the oldest iron-framed mill in Scotland – and the fourth oldest known to survive in the world.Inhabit maintains the demolition is necessary as it would be too costly and unsafe to retain it as it currently stands.City council planners have now recommended next week’s planning committee conditionally approve the plans for the partial demolition.Planners have insisted on eight different conditions, should the application be granted when councillors meet on Wednesday, including a scheme for reusing granite.