Banff and Buchan councillors this week deferred a decision to approve the layout of a 57 hectare housing and business development on the edge of Fraserburgh.
Councillors, from Banff, Troup and Fraserburgh, will now hold a special, informal meeting with council officers to discuss the details of the plans before passing their judgement at a future meeting of the Banff and Buchan Area Committee.
Their approval would have safeguarded the land, to the south of Fraserburgh, for future use.
But there had been concerns with how access to the Kirkton development was planned with Fraserburgh councillor Ian Tait saying the option on the table could “kill” the proposals.
The plans call for a fifth exit to be added to the nearby roundabout where Boothby Road and Maconochie Road meet for entry into the estate.
Last night, Councillor Tait explained that the whole roundabout would have to be remodeled to the satisfaction of Transport Scotland but that they would not pick up the cost.
“The cost of doing this would be very considerable and would have to fall on the backs of the developer. They might well be scared off by saying it would be too costly to develop,” he added.
Vice chairman of the area committee, and a local councillor, Brian Topping said he hoped the meeting with infrastructure officers would prove fruitful.
He said: “I want to discuss the housing situation. We can’t have lots of three or four bedroom bungalows getting built. I think it should be mixed – private housing, affordable housing and socially rented housing for people who want to rent. I certainly want to thrash that out.
“And more detail about access, should there be a roundabout half-way down (Boothby Road)? To me, that would serve two purposes. For the housing scheme you would be able to come in there, and the traffic for the business park could come in down at the bottom.”
Infrastructure chief Stephen Archer had written in his report, that went before the councillors, that the plans were indicative and that a detailed layout would be assessed at the planning application stage.
The developer of the land would be obligated, however, to provide a new cemetery, two grass pitches with changing facilities, cycleway linkages, and an extension to the Saltoun medical practice.