Aberdeen councillors have voted to delay the construction of more than 1,500 homes on the outskirts of the city due to increasing costs.
Local members raised the issue at a meeting of full council earlier today after the SNP previously revealed it was preparing to throw the Newhills plan out.
SNP councillor Miranda Radley had suggested building work on the new homes be put on hold until 2032.
She also asked for the local authority to focus on delivering the delayed housing developments at Craighill and Kincorth first.
It came as Labour leader, councillor Barney Crockett, suggested delaying the proposal would have a “serious impact” on the area and could jeopardise the development.
SNP say ‘no, not now’ to Greenferns Landward
Ms Radley said: “Ensuring our citizens have warm, secure homes that are fit for the future is a priority for our partnership.
“We are in an unprecedented time with the fallout from Brexit, the ongoing impact of the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis.
“One of the first decisions our administration made was the unfortunate decision to delay Craighill and Kincorth, the figures didn’t add up due to those external factors.
“Our direction is ensuring we have a sustainable strategy for housing.”
Referring to the Greenferns Landward site, she said: “The site was earmarked for 2,000 council homes Labour promised.
“If they did not want to see the plans move in another direction, perhaps they should have kept their promise and delivered the site.”
She added: “Today we say no, not now.”
Labour slams SNP’s ‘abrupt handbrake turn’
However, Mr Crockett said the SNP’s plan to ditch Greenferns Landward came as a shock and believed it was “propelled” the upcoming Dyce, Bucksburn and Danestone by-election.
He said the proposal to ditch the plans that had been “discussed for years” would “deny the council and the city of having a strategy for housing its population in the future.”
He also claimed the move was an “abrupt handbrake turn” by the party.
He also took the opportunity to make a dig at the other half of the partnership.
He said the Lib Dems were “the back end of the pantomime horse” as there was no mention of the party’s involvement in the plans to scrap Greenferns Landward.
But Lib Dem councillor Martin Greig fought back and said they “carefully analysed what is the right thing to do” and added it was “clear” the site needed to be taken out of future consideration.
Need to find ‘perfect balance’ between housing and biodiversity’
After initially claiming the development was to be scrapped for the sake of the environment, SNP councillor Gill Al-Samarai said it now needed to be delayed due to “ongoing volatility within the supply chain”.
She also said it was the party’s ambition to “find a perfect balance between building necessary housing and protecting green spaces and encouraging biodiversity”.
Planning process ‘destroyed by short-term nimbyism’
Labour councillor Gordon Graham questioned where any new council houses would be built at all.
He noted that a travellers’ site has been earmarked for the Greenferns Landward site and asked where the partnership planned to relocate it to.
He added: “It’s great that people in Bucksburn can enjoy open, natural space, but what about the people in Kingswells, Sheddocksley and Northfield?
“They too expressed their concerns over Greenferns and they have been ignored.
“We have a planning process which has been destroyed by short-term nimbyism during a by-election.
“The administration is abandoning young and homeless families looking to get a house, and what will it do for us to try and lure people to come and work in Aberdeen?”
Concerns delay would cause reputational risk to council
Labour councillor Sandra Macdonald raised worries the move would lead to a “reputational risk” for the council.
She explained: “This is all part of a bigger, long-term plan and strategy that has been out there and debated.
“I’m just concerned that the transparency and accountability around the whole thing is being questioned.”
After going to a vote, 23 members backed councillor Radley’s proposal while 19 backed councillor Crockett.
You can watch the debate here.
Conversation