A community group has raised concerns that a proposed new cemetery could cause dangerous traffic build-up on a north-east road.
Aberdeenshire Council wants to build the site at Auchterellon Farm, north of the McDonald Golf Club near Ellon.
A new cemetery has been on the agenda for many years due to capacity issues at the current locations on Castle Road and St Mary’s On the Rock.
But Ellon Community Council fears the authority has not properly considered the impact of the additional traffic on the A948 Ellon to New Deer road.
George Stewart, chairman, said: “Ellon Community Council welcomes plans for a new cemetery for Ellon. However, we are concerned that access to the new cemetery by foot, cycle or bus has not been properly considered and are asking the council to provide an integrated transport solution.
“For funerals, we believe that the car parking provision is insufficient and may result in people parking on the A948 road causing congestion and a hazard to road users.
“We also have concerns over the design of the cemetery. A cemetery has the potential to be a place of quiet contemplation where people should be able to walk round in pleasant quiet surroundings to visit their departed loved ones. “This design is basically a field of graves with some flowers and benches in one corner and the odd tree dotted around.
“We ask the council to look at incorporating some form of formal garden islands or focal points in the body of the development perhaps with sculptures, seating, sensory garden etc, linked by the paths around the lairs.
“Some dividing walls and hedges to break up the extensive site would make the area more intimate.”
Discussions around a new cemetery first came to the fore in 2011 when Castle Road reached capacity and stopped selling lairs.
However, councillors deferred a decision on plans for a site at Balmacassie in 2012 due to road safety concerns.
The scheme then resurfaced and was approved but was culled when Brewdog sparked an interest in the land.
Brewdog formally lodged an application for a hotel after buying the land.
The council was unable for comment but previously stated the current capacity at the town’s cemeteries was “insufficient to meet longer-term needs”.
