Councillors will hold a site visit at tiny north-east village before deciding whether a property owner can keep an oil tank outside his home.
Dino-Sabato Bevilacqua, from Aberdeen, built a storage building at number 36 in Sandend Village for fuel used to heat the property.
But he has faced objections from the local authority and neighbours, who believe the small shed sets a dangerous precedent for the conservation area and creates an obstruction for vehicles.
Members of Aberdeenshire Council’s Banff and Buchan area committee met yesterday to discuss the development.
Mr Bevilacqua, who applied for the shed retrospectively, was represented at yesterday’s meeting by planning agent Gary Black.
He said the shed was built in the same location as one previously used to store coal.
“My client has had property in the area for the last 20 years,” he added.
“It is a replacement and it is an enhancement. It would be costly for him to move now.”
Councillors heard from authority planners that the shed was unacceptable in its current location, but that any dispute over access to a lane it now obstructed was a civil matter between neighbours.
They will visit the site next month before deciding if it can remain.
Fraserburgh councillor Michael Watt had spoken in favour of it being approved.
“We have been going on about conservation,” he said.
“But what do we want to conserve? There’s two large television aerials there and I think that’s more intrusive than the shed.
“I disagree with the comments of the planners – it seems to be acceptable. We need to make it attractive for people and young families to move in.”
Councillors Brian Topping, Michael Roy, Ian Tait and Charles Buchan had voted to reject the application.
