Development of housing and business units for Millbank approved by area committee
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Councillors have approved plans to build a development of 33 homes and three business units at Millbank near Sauchen.
Applicant Cosmo Linzee Gordon, of the Cluny Estate, lodged the proposal with Aberdeenshire Council.
It went before the Garioch area committee on Tuesday as the application received more than six objections, with 24 people objecting to it.
Aberdeenshire Council's planning service recommended to councillors that the plans be granted.
The site lies to the south-west of the crossroads within Millbank and to the south side of the A944 road.
To the north-east is Millbank Cottage, which is in the process of being redeveloped. East of that is an area of undeveloped land and Millbank Hall. Along the eastern boundary is the hall car park and three homes.
An area of woodland makes up the south-east corner, while to the south and west are open fields with scattered houses some distance beyond the site boundary.
The housing development will be split in to three areas with the first having access to 10 detached homes; the second to a further 10 houses in the southern part of the site; and the third having five detached, four semi-detached and three terraced properties. A single house will be situated to the east of the second area.
The homes will range in size from two to three bedrooms affordable (seven in total); three bedrooms (three), four bedrooms (14) and five bedrooms (nine).
The houses are a mix of one and three quarters and two storey designs. Each one will have off-street parking, including the use of garages for the larger properties. There will be 10 visitor parking spaces throughout the application site.
The proposed commercial development is in the form of three workspaces and parking is located to the east of the access into the site and adjacent to the A944. These will be in a single building.
In the report that went before councillors from senior planner Bruce Strachan it recommended that the application be granted.
It outlined: "The policies contained in the Local Development Plan 2017 remain compliant with the principles of sustainable development as guided by the Scottish Planning Policy and therefore provide an appropriate basis for the determination of this application.
"The proposal in supporting good design and the six qualities of successful places, delivery of accessible housing and making use of existing infrastructure would contribute towards sustainable development.
"This carries significant material weight lending itself to an approval. In assessing the proposed development against the wider policies of Scottish Planning Policy and the Local Development Plan 2017 and any other material considerations, there were no adverse impacts which would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of the proposal."
The plans received 24 objections whose issues included the principle of the development; its scale; lack of housing demand and the infrastructure capacity of the hamlet.
During the area committee meeting Councillor Iris Walker said: "The principle of development on this site is established, it's already been in previous LDPs.
"There's been extensive consultation. The lack of representation from the community council we can take as an endorsement of the application.
"The applicant and his representatives came to the community council at Cluny, Midmar and Monymusk many times.
"Although the proposal is scaled down from the original, we're living in a different economic world. It would still offer a mixed use development and opportunities for small businesses and this has got to be welcomed.
"The issues raised by the representations have been addressed and there is a considerable amount of conditions proposed to further reassure all the issues I was looking at.
"I appreciate that there's a desire from the existing residents of Millbank to keep the hamlet as it is. We have to look at the application on the wider context.
"In Millbank we've got a very active community and facilities including the hall, tennis court, bowling green, football pitch all waiting for people to come and sustain it. I will be supporting this application."
Councillor Ron McKail said: "If the perception by the objectors is that the consultation was not good than that is extremely disappointing.
"This is an application for housing that is going to practically double the size of the hamlet, so I can understand how they feel.
"I don't think we've got any reasons not to accept this delegated grant."
Councillor Fatima Joji said: "I am aware that there was prior consultation about this.
"I do feel that there are questions down the line that I am not reassured of and I can see where the residents are coming from in the statements they have presented.
"But I do accept that there has been wide consultation. There isn't really a reason strong enough to reject this proposal at this time but I do sympathise with the residents."
The area committee agreed to approve the application for the development.
