Councillors vote unanimously to refuse an application to build 64 houses in Pitmedden
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
At the latest meeting of the Formartine Area Committee, local councillors were asked to consider an application to build 64 houses on land at Bonnyton Farm to the east of the village.
The applicant, Kirkwood Homes, has previously brought forward applications for the site - which includes 16 affordable homes as well as a variety of three and four bed properties - however their masterplan was refused by the committee in October 2018 and their initial housing proposal was refused in September 2019.
The site in question was allocated in the 2017 Local Development Plan for 64 houses and open space assuming that there were two points of access, however the applications were refused based on concerns around road safety and the decision to reopen the Ingliston junction from both councillors and members of the public.
The applicant successfully appealed to the Scottish Government, and councillors were this week presented with an amended application.
The most prominent alteration to the plans was the decision to propose only having one access at the Croftlands junction adjoining the B999 and dismiss the re-opening of the Ingleside junction as a second access.
Some 25 objections from members of the public were formally received by Aberdeenshire Council regarding this application.
Based on feedback from Aberdeenshire Council's roads department, the councillors were recommended to consider the application for refusal over many concerns as to the appropriateness of having only one access point remained.
There were also concerns about the impact on residents of neighbouring streets who already use the Croftlands access point and the effect that such a significant increase in traffic could have on them.
While addressing the committee on behalf of the applicant Ian Ross said that in making the plans they had considered a number of options for access to the site and while they acknowledged that it may not comply with policy or the current Local Development Plan they really did feel that their latest proposal was the best option.
He said: "While not fully policy compliant we think this is a better option."
The roads department's Graeme Steele explained to the committee that the primary reasoning for requiring a second access point to the site is to prevent residents from becoming isolated should the road require to be closed for any reason and to ensure that emergency vehicles would always be able to have access.
During their discussion on the application councillors were encouraged to focus largely on the amendments to the application and were refreshed by the Planning Authority on various points which had been raised and considered when the application was brought before them previously.
Councillors then voted unanimously in favour of refusing the application once again, with councillor Karen Adam saying: "The community have really made their thoughts known on this one" and, referring to the roads department's claim that the additional housing would likely push use of the junction to at least double their recommendation as well as the non-compliance with Council policy, councillor Jim Gifford said: "This is a precedent we do not want to set".
