Gamrie Bay court, Gardenstown

Gamrie Bay Court is located within the village of Gardenstown, which is roughly 7 miles East of Banff. The scheme contains 15 Sheltered Housing flats split over 2 levels, and there is a separate former warden house.

Average overall occupancy rates at the scheme were 89.4% over 10 years, and there have been significant challenges in letting vacancies at the scheme in the past.

Gamrie Bay Court has a negative Net Present Value of around -£2.3 million, which is mainly driven by the high cost of future investment required at the scheme. Lost income due to vacancies also contributes towards this figure, but even if occupancy was 100% the scheme would still require substantial subsidy from other tenants to maintain.

Gardenstown offers some facilities for tenants, with a local shop and bus stop within walking distance of the scheme. However, the village is built on a steep slope which may be challenging for tenants with reduced mobility. The closest GP and Pharmacy services are in Banff and Macduff respectively, requiring tenants to travel by bus or car to access these.

The main driver for considering the scheme for closure is the high level of future investment required to maintain the scheme, which would require significant levels of subsidy from other tenants.