Aberdeenshire village plans to build new houses will be scrutinised
Councillors are set to assess a planning application to build nine new homes in a village.
Applicant Bob Milton Properties wants to construct the properties in Sandend near Portsoy on a site to the west of Seaview Road.
Councillors will scrutinise the proposal during the Banff and Buchan area committee meeting to be held on Tuesday morning.
Aberdeenshire Council’s planning department has recommended the application be granted.
In the report that will go before councillors it outlined: “The proposal includes the erection of nine dwellinghouses which is one more than the allocation.
“The provided site plan and boundaries plan shows the dwellings situated in two rows, with a row on the western side of the proposed new access road and a row on the eastern side.
“The dwellings differ in scale slightly, with plots 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 being similar sized detached dwellings, however plots 2 and 3 would be semi-detached units. The semi-detached property on plots 2 and 3 will be affordable housing.
“In terms of design of the proposed dwellings, 6 house designs have been provided (A, B, C, D, D2 and E).
“The westerly row of 5 dwellings would include house type A, B, C and E, while the easterly row which sits closest to Sandend, would consist of mainly house type D, with the most northerly property being D2 which is the same design but flipped so the garage is to the south rather than the north.
“Dwellinghouses A and C are single storey properties while the rest are one and a half storeys tall.
“All of the houses are proposed to be finished with the same materials. The walls will be white render with masonry features in grey artificial stone and areas of dark grey uPVC cladding.
“The roofs will be grey concrete tiles and all doors and windows will be dark grey uPVC.
“All dwellinghouses will have a garage with the exception of house type A and C.
“A new access road to the site will be formed from the unclassified road that leads from Seaview Road. A new footpath will be constructed sloping round plot 6 then northeast towards Seaview Road and another running east from the new entrance towards Seaview Road along the unclassified road.”
The report has concluded that the proposal is an acceptable departure from the development plan which can be supported.
It added: “Extension of the development outwith the settlement into the countryside and coastal zone is acceptable as due to the topography of the site, this has been necessary to minimise the amount of groundwork required and also to allow space for an internal footpath to be formed to meet the road, enabling the delivery of the allocated site within Sandend.
“The development is unlikely to have an adverse impact on the character of countryside or coastal zone therefore can be considered an acceptable departure.”
Aberdeenshire Council received 17 representations regarding the plans with 15 in support and two objecting.
The reasons to support included new houses will help to modernise the area, provides family sized homes within Sandend and the new development will provide a boost to the community.
The objectors issues included there would be increased congestion in the village, the impact on pedestrian safety and on local services.
