The developers behind plans to build hundreds of council homes near Aberdeen International Airport dismissed noise concerns at a crunch public meeting yesterday.
First Endeavour LLP wants to create 302 homes, including blocks of flats that are up to five storeys high, on land at Wellheads Road in Dyce which they would sell on to the local authority.
The firm believes this will help the council meet its goals to build 2,000 council homes over five years and ease recruitment pressures on public services in the north-east.
But the plans have proved controversial locally with 283 letters of objection submitted to the authority, compared to just 36 in support.
Issues raised include the scale of the development, a lack of local amenities and a potential increase in traffic and parking congestion.
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The council’s environmental health team has objected to the proposal citing the potential of disruption by aircraft and road noise for residents of the development.
But Steve Keenon, who works for First Endeavour LLP, told yesterday’s meeting at the townhouse that their analysis had found that a child playing outside there would find it louder to go inside and watch TV.
He said: “Of the 283 objections, only three mention road and aircraft noise.
“A child playing in one of the playparks there would encounter a lower decibel level if a plane was taking off than they would watching TV in their own house.”
He added that the opening of the AWPR was expected to reduce lorry traffic in the area by up to 23% in further reducing the noise.
Bill Harrison of Dyce and Stoneywood community council said the scheme was more fitted to the “inner city” than suited to “Dyce village”.
He stressed that the body was not against the principle of council houses, but considered the scale of the proposal to be an “overdevelopment”.
He added: “The percentage of objections make up 89% of all the representations, so our opposition reflects the majority view.”
Local resident Linda Cox told the committee she found the plans “obscene” and added that the developer’s plans “squeezed too many” homes onto the site.
Committee convener Marie Boulton said the final decision should come before next month’s planning committee.
