SUPPORT FOR ELSICK DEVELOPMENT
COUNCILLORS have thrown their weight behind a "bold" vision for the Mearns and given the go-ahead for a major new settlement to be built.
Plans to build over 4000 homes on the Elsick estate, near Newtonhill, were backed by councillors at a special meeting of the Kincardine and Mearns area committee last week to allocate local development for the next 12 years.
Councillors rejected the preferred option of council planners for a settlement at Banchory-Leggart of up to 2465 homes, with substantial employment land and a country park. The location was favoured by planners due to its transport links and was considered a lower "risk" option for a new settlement than Elsick, which will take longer to develop.
The house allocation at Elsick also includes 1550 houses recommended for allocation in Portlethen.
Chair of the area committee, councillor Paul Melling said it was a "unique and very important" day, while area manager Willie Munro said the decisions being made were "very significant".After a day of deliberating, councillor Alistair Bews asked his fellow councillors to go against the planners' recommendations and choose Elsick as their favoured site.
Aberdeenshire Provost Bill Howatson agreed and said: "We've seen the downside of piecemeal development in the past and I think we need to avoid that. I think what we're doing today needs a bit of vision and it needs a bit of courage. I think it would be a bold statement and I think it would take the pressure off other places."
Stonehaven councillor Graeme Clark said: "We can masterplan and learn from the past. I think it is time to be brave. It is a risk, but it is a brave step."
North Kincardine councillor Carl Nelson said: "We do not want a lot of just 'bolt on' houses here and houses there. We want to see something from it, we want to see something better from it than 30 or 40 years ago."
The decisions now go before the council's infrastructure services committee for ratification along with similar recommendations from other areas around Aberdeenshire. The finalised plans should be approved by Scottish Ministers in early 2011.
The Elsick site is currently being promoted by the family-controlled Elsick Development Company, representing the Earl of Southesk and neighbouring landowners.
Following the unanimous decision by the 12 councillors, the Earl of Southesk said: "The next stage is for us to take our preliminary masterplanning further. All interested parties will be able to have their say. I feel passionately about what we are trying to achieve at Elsick."
Chairwoman of Newtonhill, Muchalls and Cammachmore Community Council Rhoda Nelson, said: "We held a well attended public meeting last year to get the views of the residents in the area about this development and the greater majority of those who attended thought that a new development, rather than smaller add-ons to communities, was a good idea.
"As far as the community council is concerned, we represent the views of the community and that is what they favoured. One reservation that was expressed was that the village of Cammachmore was not swallowed up by it, that the new development was sympathetic towards that."
Following the meeting, Stonehaven and Lower Deeside councillor Wendy Agnew expressed her delight at the decision to build a new town.
She said: "I'm delighted with the result, I think it's the way we had to go forward. You can't keep adding houses onto settlements, that's why we needed the new town. It will be a town that is planned as a town, with a market square, a park, schools and shops, it will have everything you need. It's also good that it is down in a bowl and not high on the skyline."
Councillor Mike Sullivan said: "Today is the birthday of a new town, and it is a very exciting prospect."
Local councillor Ian Mollison added: "There has been great concern over the past months among local people over where development will go. Hopefully this will go some way to ending that uncertainty. However, although it is good news for many, there will be disappointment - particularly at Elsick - among those affected directly by these proposals."
North Kincardine councillor Paul Melling said: "Councillors made very significant and ambitious decisions over two days about where development will take place in the coming years.
"I am very pleased that there was good debate among councillors with challenging questions being asked of our planning officers to ensure that we came to the appropriate conclusions.
"Regarding Elsick, we made an outstanding decision which will be a golden opportunity not only for this area but for a new state-of-the-art town that Scotland can be proud of and would lead to focus on the re-opening of Newtonhill railway station, indicating our commitment to the Crossrail project."
Also to be included in the new local development plan will be 85 houses in the south-west of Newtonhill, 65 houses north of Marywell, 10 houses at Kirkton of Maryculter, and employment land at Portlethen.
The Newtonhill proposals will include a new road linking Cairnwell Drive and Park Place to address safety and access concerns.
Recommendations from officials that the green belt be extended to prevent the coalescence of Newtonhill, Muchalls, Portlethen and the new Elsick community will be discussed at a future meeting.
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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