Chap Homes, which has its headquarters at Westhill, near Aberdeen, is proposing to develop a sustainable village on Deeside: Park Village, near Drumoak.
Bill Burr said: “If granted permission, Park Village will be the first sustainable community in the north-east of Scotland, utilising energy-saving techniques and materials and ensuring the availability of affordable, environmentally-sympathetic, high-quality homes for future generations.
“This development will involve £400million of investment and will create work with traditional and new skills to be learned through relevant Modern Apprentice schemes.
“The proposed site would comprise a settlement in the range of 1,000 to 2,000 homes – at least 25% of which would be affordable accommodation – as well as retail facilities and leisure amenities. The development would also enhance the local business community, as a key element of the proposal involves the construction of business accommodation. We’ve already received extremely positive feedback on this provision from the public.
“We are proposing to build Park Village on land that is currently in use as a quarry. This means that we would be utilising a previously developed area, or what’s known as a brownfield site, and would not therefore be compromising local greenbelt land.
“Also, as Chap owns the site, we would not encounter landowner disputes that can have a negative impact on the master planning. Our ownership would allow us the time to develop the design, plan it intelligently and build it properly, without the usual time constraints and tight delivery schedules construction projects often involve.
“There’s no doubt we are on the crest of a revolution in the housing industry, with the provision of environmentally-sympathetic homes increasingly becoming a top priority.
“Park Village would provide the north-east with the opportunity to be at the forefront with this exciting development, paving the way for similar projects in the future.
“We have launched a campaign to obtain the views of local people and as part of this have created a website – www.park-village.co.uk – which has already received 71,000 hits, and which includes a comprehensive questionnaire, asking for feedback regarding the proposal.
“We want the opinions of local people and those interested in living in the proposed village as we are very receptive to ideas regarding what the development could comprise.
“This proposal is at an early stage in the design process. We want to identify which facilities local people would like to see and welcome any suggestions they have.
“We are also currently organising public consultation meetings in additional efforts to canvass opinion.
“The feedback received from these sessions will play a key role in the decision-making process. It is essential that all parties become involved and so I’d urge anyone interested in the development to get in touch.
“With the draft Aberdeen City and Shire structure plan identifying the need for an additional 72,000 homes in the area over the next 30 years, the provision of new houses in the north-east is undoubtedly an increasingly pressing issue.
“Indeed, Aberdeen City and Shire councils have shown great vision and should be commended on their plans to further enhance and grow the region.
“Other demographic factors are also impacting on the projected growth in demand for housing, through, for example, people living longer, increasing divorce rates and more people living in single occupancy, including young first-time buyers.
“This development will cater for all tenures and could play a significant part in providing homes for all.”
Mr Burr said the project was still at the early stage of planning application, but he would hope to start on site in 2011 with Park Village being developed over a 10 to 15-year period.
Mr Burr, 58, began his working career as an apprentice joiner with Hendry and Keith in Aberdeen in 1966, moving to Doric Construction in Aberdeen as a joiner in 1971 before becoming a joiner and workshop manager at Camphill Rudolf Steiner Schools, at Bieldside, Aberdeen in 1973.
In 1988, he joined Chap Construction as a site agent, rising to become housing director in 1998, and since 2006 has been a director of Chap Holdings (Aberdeen) and managing director of Chap Homes.
Chap Group, which takes its name from the surnames of founders Alastair Craigie, who is still chairman, Ian Harper, Frank Anderson and Ian Phillips, was launched in 1976 as a civil-engineering business.
The group diversified into building, housebuilding and quarrying in the 1980s and took over kitchen company Northern Timber Products in the 1990s.
Steady growth has continued and in 2007-08 turnover was around £47million, with the group payroll standing at about 300.
Chap Homes contributed between £5million and £6million of turnover. Set up in 2003 as a separate company, it employs just 10, with all its building work carried out by Chap Construction.