Major construction development near Ellon wins planning appeal
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Green energy supply proves vital to company's plans
An application for a north-east timber framed housing construction company to create a major new facility with offices in a rural location have been approved on appeal.
In February last year, agents David Murray Associates made the application on behalf of Norframe directors Gregor Davidson and Philip Edwards for a site to the north-east of Kinknockie Farm near Udny.
The application for the site is located approximately 4km south of Ellon, 5km south east of Pitmedden and 2.4km north-west of
Foveran is located within the countryside on undeveloped agricultural land and comprises a main building 31 metres by 49 metres with a ridge
height of 10.1 metres and an office of 21 metres by 24 metres with a height of eight metres.
Norframe produces conventional timber frame kits, which are of a high standard of quality and energy efficiency and works in association with Cairnrowan homes.
The main reason for selecting this location is the site the developers explained was that it is directly adjacent to the 500kw anaerobic digested instated at Kinknockie Farm.
When fully operational the proposed factory would employ 40 people and the factory will also sustain the Kinknockie AD plan which employs and sustains 10 people.
With Cairnrowan employing 55 people it was argued that the development would secure over 100 jobs in the area.
At the end of August last year the plans went before the Formartine area committee where they were refused despite planners indicating that the plans were acceptable.
The application was noted as being contrary to the Local Development Plan site allocations; in breach of Policies B4 Special development areas, R2 Housing and employment development elsewhere in the countryside, P1 Layout siting and design, and RD1 Providing suitable services; and other concerns, including transportation matters.
An appeal was launched to the Department of Planning and Environmental Appeals (DPEA) and in a decision published this week, Scottish Government reporter Trevor Croft announced that the appeal had been granted subject to a number of conditions.
His report commented: "Overall this is a very finely balanced decision, effectively between two alternative sites that appear to offer similar benefits and opportunities to the appellant.
"Apart from the fact that the alternative site to the appeal proposal is designated for industrial development the key advantage for the appellant is that its proposed site has the advantage of an existing green energy supply adjacent to the site that fulfils its aim for such use.
"In contrast, whilst the allocated industrial site has a digester plant virtually adjacent, it is not yet connected and there are no guarantees of when this would be done, although the plant operator states it would be later this year, 2022."
He continued: "The key policy conflict is with R2 concerning location and this is fundamental to the appeal decision, as it affects the other relevant
policies R2, P1 and RD1.
"From my site inspection I found the proposed development would sit comfortably in relation to Kinknockie Farm, having the appearance of modern farm buildings that are not uncommon in the wider area.
"Problems relating to access would be resolved by the new proposed road to be dealt with in conditions.
"The alternative proposed site, although allocated in the development plan, itself sits in open countryside and would have a similar relationship to existing buildings as the appeal proposal.
"In this respect there is little to choose between the two sites.
"The appellant states it has considered a number of alternative locations, including Balmacassie, Blackdog, West Pitmillan, Rashierieve, Pitmedden, Tarves, Newburgh and Foveran."
"The appellant has clearly considered this issue carefully and I attach considerable weight to its decision.
"I find the availability of the existing supply of green energy from the anaerobic digester adjacent to the site and the way in which the appellant proposes to manage the proposed factory making use of this are strong arguments in favour of the appeal site.
"While the proposed development does not accord overall with the relevant provisions ofthe development plan, granting planning permission is still justified by the availability of an adjacent green energy supply."
