Proposals for affordable housing on green belt land in Kingswells have been approved in principle, despite recommendations they be rejected.
Members of the city council’s planning committee voted to grant Carnoustie Links Development planning permission in principle for a site off Old Lang Stracht.
Under local development plan (LDP) guidelines, a small section of the grassland is zoned for housing development but the majority of its 1.08-hectares is not.
But yesterday councillors voted by five to four in favour that 23 houses could be built on the land.
But conditions attached could include financial contributions to nearby schools, health facilities and the nearby community centre.
There are plans for around 150 homes on the southern side of Old Lang Stracht.
Officers warned the proposal would “erode the area of green belt between Kingswells and the Lang Stracht” and could set an “undesirable precedent”.
Kingswells councillor Steve Delaney said: “It’s green belt, we are not short of housing land at the moment and it goes against the LDP.
“With these homes being mid-market, they will still be unaffordable for a lot of people struggling on the housing list.”
But John Cooke said: “You have people in small properties that want to move to a bigger home.
“This would allow them to do so within a community where they already have roots, rather than have to move to the other side of the city.”
