Plans to demolish an “eyesore” petrol station at the entrance to an Aberdeenshire town will go before local councillors once again next week.
Councillors have already rejected plans to replace the Craighall filling station, on Ellon’s South Road, with two blocks of eight flats.
And, in February, the Formartine area committee deferred a decision to transform the site into one large block of 16 two-bedroom flats due to concerns around its designs, requesting further information.
The committee will meet next Tuesday to make the final decision on whether or not to back the plans by Regency Oils Ltd.
Sixteen objections have been submitted against the application, relating to issues such as refuse collections, parking, access and scale.
Ellon Community Council has spoken out against it, because of the site’s design, scale and potential impact on neighbouring A-listed building, St Mary’s Church on the Rock.
The local authority has recommended the approval of the plans on a delegated grant.
Chairman of the community council, Sandy McDougall, said: “We haven’t seen anything since submitting those initial comments to change our comments.
“These were to do with the design, scale and the effect on a listed building.
“I think our key thing was the design and scale for the site is really just unsuitable. Our fundamental objection is about the lack of any modern design principles.
“We would like to see something done there. It has been an eyesore for four or five years now, but what we don’t want is an eyesore we’re stuck with for the next 25 years, but a building that Ellon deserves.”
However, the report going before the committee next week states it is an “appropriate form of development on this site”, adding: “It is not considered that the proposal will impact in any way on the church or its surroundings.
“It must be acknowledged that the nature of its previous use as a fuel filling station is such that there is a continuing risk of contamination should nothing be done on the site as well as an unsightly disused site.
“The design, while typical of flatted development in some ways, does provide a higher standard of materials and improved detailing.”
The papers also show that the removal of contamination at the site will cost about £150,000.
