Aberdeen development site put on the market

A PRIME development site in Aberdeen which went into administration at the end of last year has been brought to the market, writes Scott Wright.

The Countesswells scheme was established to deliver 3,100 homes at a significant new community to the west of Aberdeen, offering good access to the city centre, Westill and Kingswells.

But the company set up to deliver the project, Countesswells Development Limited (CDL), fell into administration in November, with its difficulties attributed to the impact of the oil and gas sector downturn, which began in 2015, and the disruption brought by the pandemic.

The company was a subsidiary of Stewart Milne Group.

Now Tom Maclennan, Iain Fraser and Chad Griffin, joint administrators of FRP Advisory, have appointed Shepherd Chartered Surveyors to market the site.

Around 725 homes have so far been built at Countesswells by Stewart Milne, Barratt, David Wilson Homes, Kirkwood and CHAP Homes, while work is believed to be well under way on the construction of a primary school by Aberdeen City Council. A further primary school and a secondary school are envisaged for the site, where retail areas, including a 4,000 square foot Sainsbury’s, are planned.