Potential development options for the Robert Gordon University's city centre campus are laid out in a document to be considered by councillors.

RGU is consolidating all of its academic activities at its Garthdee campus and the relocation will result in the city centre campus properties becoming surplus to requirement.

The Robert Gordon University City Centre Campus Planning Brief provides supplementary guidance on the future re-development and re-use of the establishment's buildings.

The campus consists of a building on St Andrew Street and four on Schoolhill – the Clarke Building, the Category A-listed Administration Building, the Category B-listed Student Union building and 54-58 Schoolhill.

The planning brief highlights the potential for the conversion of the buildings for a number of uses, including residential, office, hotel, or a mixture of those uses.


The overall objective of the brief is to enable the redevelopment or re-use of the buildings in character with the surrounding area, while respecting and retaining the existing fabric of the buildings and ensuring the future use of the buildings remains a viable commercial prospect.

According to the planning brief, the Administration Building and Student Union Building could be converted, subject to the retention of key features, as long as the special character of the two listed buildings was not undermined. The Clarke Building, which presently provides accommodation over seven floors, is not listed and offers more significant development opportunities.

The brief contains a range appropriate alternative uses or development concepts for the Schoolhill buildings including: business use; student accommodation; and hotel, Retail, commercial, food and drink uses are also deemed appropriate, and are strongly supported by the Local Development Plan.

The building on St Andrew Street is a highly prominent granite block and is of generally high external architectural quality. The planning brief states that innovative and exciting designs using the internal courtyard and John Street façade could be investigated.

Alternative uses and development concepts put forward for the St Andrews Street building include: business use; hotel; and residential use; or a combination of a mixed office/hotel or hotel/residential scheme. The granite facades must be retained.

Members of the Development Management Sub-committee will consider the adoption of the planning brief as interim planning advice when they meet in the Town House on Thursday [19 April].

(GK)