North-east farmers’ co-operative ANM Group has submitted a planning application for a new business park to the west of its existing base at Thainstone, Inverurie.
The planning application, which has been submitted to Aberdeenshire Council by architect and planning consultants Halliday Fraser Munro, seeks to convert 56.83 acres of agricultural grazing land into a new business park.
According to the application, ANM wants to turn the land into a commercial development for business, general industrial and storage or distribution uses.
Halliday Fraser Munro said the site would host a “selection of modern office and warehouse buildings with an abundance of yard space for commercial business”.
The firm’s chief executive, John Halliday, said: “We have worked very closely with our client and adhering strictly to the local planning guidelines to create a business park that is both practical in its function and appealing in design.
“With direct access to the A96 and within short travel to city and airport the client hopes that the additional infrastructure will provide much needed space for inward investment to the area.
“Our client has already had a lot of commercial interest in the facilities and is very excited to be finally moving forward with this project. This planning application is just a natural step in the process already begun with the local area plan allocating this land for development in 2012.”
Various businesses have previously spoken of plans to create new bases at Thainstone, including Scotbeef Inverurie, SRUC and machinery dealer Ravenhill.
Scotbeef Inverurie, which is a joint venture between ANM Group and J.W. Galloway, has long spoken about creating a new state-of-the-art abattoir at Thainstone to replace its existing base in Inverurie.
ANM Group said its planning application was for the business park, not the abattoir, however the abattoir was “within the boundaries of the site”.
The co-op said the application did not include provision for a new north-east campus for SRUC.