Controversial plans to strip a picturesque north-east village of its conservation status could be pushed through by councillors next week.
Aberdeenshire Council has been reviewing the conservation area in the fishing village of Port Erroll on the Buchan coast, and has now urged councillors to repeal the regulations.
Part of the larger settlement of Cruden Bay, Port Erroll was given conservation status more than 40 years by Banff and Buchan District Council on the grounds it was “an area of special architectural or historic interest”.
But when it emerged that the local authority was considering revoking the status late last year, outraged locals hastily convened the Port Erroll Heritage Group to protect the history of the community.
Now senior officials from Aberdeenshire Council have recommended that councillors vote to rescind the status, which places restrictions on planning applications.
In a report to the Buchan area committee, infrastructure chief Stephen Archer says: “The conclusion of the appraisal is that the character of Port Erroll has been severely eroded by unsympathetic incremental changes and the former fishermen’s village no longer justifies conservation area status.”
However Mr Archer makes it clear in his report that the majority of residents surveyed as part of the public consultation want the status to be retained.
He added that if councillors go against recommendations and vote to retain the conservation status, homeowners could be forced to “reverse the previous unsympathetic alterations”, such as PVC windows and modern fixtures.
However a spokesman from Port Erroll Heritage Group – who will formally object to the plans at Tuesday’s committee meeting – said residents were shocked by the move.
“The first thing to say is that this is the first recommendation of its kind, that an area should lose its status,” the spokesman said. “It’s big.”
The group has called for balance between retaining the conservation regulations to prevent future planning applications which would change the character of the village, and allowing existing alterations to remain.
The spokesman – who described the survey conducted by the council as “leading” – added: “Aberdeenshire Council seems to be making it up as they go along.”