Aberdeen City Council has confirmed it is to invest £22m in vital social care projects.

Social Care and Wellbeing Committee members approved the capital spending on two ongoing projects for 2013/14. It also agreed to support a number of new-build and significant refurbishment schemes following a meeting on Thursday. These schemes will be carried out by 2018.

A further £31k is being invested in the £650k scheme to create an integrated drugs service involving the City Council, NHS Grampian and the police and voluntary sector partner; while an additional £155k is earmarked for the new £912k Marchburn House children's residential unit.

Over the next five years, the new projects included in the council's capital plans include:

• a new £4.4m two-story building at the existing Burnside Centre


• £1.5m for children's home upgrades to ensure they meet Care Commission standards

• £150k to upgrade the Quarry Centre, which offers specialist child care and support to families facing issues like disability, substance misuse, homelessness and children with challenging behaviour

• £200k to refurbish the Craigielea Children's Centre

• £250k to modernise Fergus House older people's home, which provides accommodation for 43 residents

• £500k to modernise Balnagask House care home, which provides accommodation for 30 residents

• £2m to provide a hydrotherapy pool and therapy gym at Rosewell House care home

• £13m to create an extra-care village in the heart of Tillydrone, complete with a community hub.

Detailed plans for the projects will be drawn up in due course.

Social Care and Wellbeing Convener Councillor Len Ironside CBE said: "The scale of this investment over the coming years shows the depth of the City Council's commitment to providing the very best services we possibly can for the most vulnerable people in our community.

"We are pledging to create better facilities for older people, for disadvantaged youngsters, for adults in need of specialist care and for families who need assistance. Local authority budgets are extremely tight but we are finding imaginative ways of using capital receipts, grant funding and prudent borrowing to ensure those who need our services most can enjoy the facilities they deserve."

(JP/MH)