Edinburgh-based Optimal Student has announced that its proposals to develop its £2.7m Braemar House purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) development have been approved.
Optimal Student submitted the PBSA plans for the former office building site at 267 Union Street in Aberdeen last year.
The Braemar House scheme will comprise 53 bedrooms, plus 49 one-bedroom studio apartments and a pair of two-bedroom units upon completion. Amenities will include a cinema room, student social space and a meeting pod.
Optimal Student also had plans for the neighbouring Victoria House upper-level offices that have already been signed-off by city officials. Those offices will become 25 student apartments, with plans to join the two complexes together.
The application site involves the first, second and third floor levels of a four-storey, category ‘C’ listed building situated on the corner of Union Street and Bon-Accord Street in the city centre.
The traditional mid-19th century granite-walled building incorporates a modern (c. late 20th century) slate-clad mansard-style roof extension. The site is within the City Centre Conservation Area.
The building has an ‘L’-shaped footprint and incorporates commercial uses (Café Andaluz, So NYC and Trailfinders) at ground floor level.
The majority of the upper floors, which are heavily modernised and largely open-plan internally, are vacant, although some office space is currently let.
The approval of Braemar House comes as part of Aberdeen City Council’s major masterplan aspirations to revive the Granite Mile by getting more people living on or around the street.
“The conversion of the upper floors of the building for use as residential student accommodation would enhance the vitality and vibrancy of the city centre and increase the city centre population, whilst comprising the sustainable re-use of the upper floors of a largely vacant building, all in accordance with the aims of the City Centre Masterplan, Policies 9 (Brownfield, Vacant and Derelict Land and Empty Buildings), 16 (Quality Homes) and 27 (City, Town, Local and Commercial Centres) of National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) and Policies VC1 (Vibrant City), VC4 (City Centre and Retail Core) and VC5 (City Centre Living) of the Aberdeen Local Development Plan 2023 (ALDP).
“The development would also likely increase spending in the city centre economy, in accordance with the aims of Policy 25 (Community Wealth Building) of NPF4.”
Aberdeen Council planning statement
