A north-east village is in line for an employment boost after planning chiefs agreed to set aside a former RAF airfield for a industrial development.
Aberdeenshire councillors have agreed to allocate 71 acres of land at Fordoun Aerodrome, near Laurencekirk, for the creation of a business park.
It is hoped the move will bring employment opportunities in line with Laurencekirk, Stonehaven and Edzell Woods.
A previous bid for industrial development at Fordoun airfield had been unanimously supported as councillors discussed the area’s Local Development Plan 2016.
But officers were asked to realign the boundaries of the site as councillors felt they were too restrictive and needed to be changed in a bid to attract larger oil companies.
Two proposals were put to the councillors, one to expand by 71 acres and another to make a further 207 acres available, the later being rejected by councillors rejected a second proposed option .
Kincardineshire and Mearns councillor George Carr said the village’s old sawmill will also be included as part of the development site.
He added: “There is a shortage of desirable land for large-scale industries. We need to provide sites that large organisations want and this will provide that.
“If we don’t do this, organisations will leave areas like this and relocate to Angus.”
Businesses in the area already include Hunting Oilfield Services, Sandy Adams Engineering, D&K Singer and Economove.
Parts of the airfield have already been developed on an ad hoc basis as a result of firms expanding and using the storage facilities at the site.
The airfield was active from 1942-44, primarily for flying the Airspeed Oxford – a RAF training aircraft.
After the war it was decommissioned after World War II and is currently used for storing pipes and drilling equipment used in North Sea oil fields.