Green light for housing expansion
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A new housing development in Kemnay and consent for a major roundabout associated with housing in Kintore have both been given the go-ahead by councillors this week.
Malcolm Allan Housebuilders sought permission for 20 houses at Milton on the western edge of Kemnay.
The site, opposite the golf course has been included in the local development plan for housing and forms a continuation of the housing at Leys Way, bordering onto the recently redeveloped Milton Farm site.
At the Garioch Area Committee held in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire Council planners recommended approval for the scheme noting that all the conditions had been met, other than an outstanding one from the community council relating to potential flood issues.
This was in turn resolved during the discussion by planners.
However this prompted councillor Martin Ford to query the ability of the council to enforce maintenance of the SUDS basin.
He said: “We've been in this position many times in this area where everyone is happy to provide one, but no one wants to pay to maintain them.
“I am glad to see however that the conditions of this application make it a lot clearer on who the responsibility lies with.”
Having confirmed the status of this matter and noting that the site would also provide 25 per cent affordable housing, the application was approved unanimously.
More protracted discussion took place over an application by Scotia Homes to create a new four spur roundabout at the B987/B994 road junction at Midmill in Kintore.
Planning permission is in place for the creation of over 200 homes and a new town park at the site, with the roundabout envisaged as one of the entry points into the development.
Permission exists at present for the junction to instead be controlled by signals and councillor sought to clarify that this permission was also still active, which it was confirmed it was.
Councillor Ford questioned the reasoning for bringing forward a new application in that instance.
Roads officer Peter MacCallum said: “There are benefits to both approaches, but one of the concerns is land ownership, and while the roundabout on paper takes up more space at the edge of the site, the signals mean that lanes have to be created on the spurs out from the roundabout, which pushes the land required considerably to the south of the site in particular.”
Fellow councillor Glen Reid asked: “Can this design accommodate any other associated growth in the area, given that its proposed as a single lane?”.
Responding Mr MacCallum confirmed that indeed it had been modelled for traffic levels from neighbouring developments.
Both councillors were joined by chair of the meeting, Dominic Lonchay in stressing the aspirations in Kintore for the town to be linked to Blackburn by a cycling route.
This it was noted was not only an aspiration of the council and locals but of Nestrans the public body.
Accordingly, permission was agreed as a delegated grant on the basis that discussion would take place to explore provision of cycle paths to the east of the site.
