Planning regulations in the north-east’s biggest town could be scrapped in a bid to encourage developers to build in the area.
Councillors will meet in Peterhead this week to discuss the creation of a simplified planning zone to demonstrate the town is “open for business”.
If the pilot scheme is approved, certain types of development in the town would no longer require planning permission and companies could simply build within the zone.
James Welsh is the manager of the Energetica initiative which is striving to boost investment and development between Aberdeen and Peterhead.
And he said: “Following the implementation of simplified planning zones elsewhere in Scotland and the positive feedback that has resulted, a review has been undertaken as to where a similar opportunity could be delivered within the Energetica corridor.”
Members of the Buchan area committee will meet at Buchan House tomorrow to debate the proposals and have been asked to provide comments to the infrastructure committee.
They will have to decide if cutting out the need for planning permission would jeopardise the design quality of the coastal community.
If approved, the zone would last for 10 years and council chiefs believe it would act as a “stimulus for development and investment”.
The scheme is at an early stage and the guidelines as to which types of development would and would not comply with the streamlined regulations have not been agreed.
In a report to Buchan councillors, Aberdeenshire’s infrastructure boss, Stephen Archer, said: “Simplified planning zones were designed to support investment in a defined area by removing the planning hurdle and speeding up the process of development or re-development on the ground.
“The designation removes the need to obtain planning permission for the types of development that are specified within a simplified planning zone scheme.”
