Plans for a tranquil Buddhist monastery in the north-east countryside have stalled – due to a row about parking spaces.
Aberdeenshire Council’s Garioch area committee halted a final decision on proposals to establish the Varapunya Meditation Centre at Kinmundy, between Westhill and Kingswells.
The centre, run by volunteers, is dedicated to the teachings within the Theravada tradition of Buddhism and has been running from Aberdeen’s Constitution Street for the last three years.
However 11 locals objected to the plans, fearing about the increased use of the private access road to the property – which is maintained by the community.
The plans include the creation of gardens and a woodlands area featuring grass paths, shrubs, flower beds and a vegetable patch. Summerhouses and a number of parking spaces are also included.
The centre would be the permanent residence of Venerable Sujan, with meditation classes being run several days a week, along with daily chanting sessions.
It is estimated six people would attend the centre daily, though it would also be used as an overnight retreat for groups of four people.
However speaking at yesterday’s committee local resident, Brian Haston, said the plans would lead to an “increased use of a sub standard road” and would “increase road traffic risk (and) user frustration”.
He added: “Thirty parking spaces have been applied for, this does not reflect the use spelled out by the agent. The road was made for four farms, there is now something like 21 residents on the road.”
Vice-chairman of the committee and East Garioch councillor, Martin Ford, moved to defer a decision on the plans to reduce the number of parking spaces from 30 to eight.
He added: “Clearly there has been a significant number of objections to this application.
“I would have thought on the face of it it was the least likely thing to disturb a neighbour as a monastic retreat, but I was wrong.
“The stated level of use I don’t think should be a great problem. I do feel the thing we could do is limiting the number of vehicles.”
A decision on the application was deferred to allow for the council to enter into negotiations with the centre about reducing the number of parking spaces proposed.
