Planning officials have been deluged with objections to plans for an £68million housing development at Aberdeen’s historic Rubislaw Quarry.
Nearly 130 letters of opposition have been received, most within just two days of responses being invited by the city council.
Canadian firm Carterra hopes to create 299 private rented flats, a residents’ gym, 332 parking spaces and a public walkway with viewpoints over the quarry at the site.
But as of last night 129 letters of objection had been received by council chiefs – and just three in support of Carterra’s proposals.
That development has seen the firm escalate its war of words with Aberdeen businessman Hugh Black, who has a separate £6million vision for the site.
He still hopes to see it become home to a museum and visitor centre, though his plans hit the rocks on legal grounds in January.
Carterra claims Mr Black has since used a social media post to prompt objections to their scheme “to advance his own political agenda” and gain support for his own plan.
A post on the Rubislaw Quarry Facebook page on Tuesday by Mr Black advertised the application and told people how to make objections.
In a scathing statement, Jim Tadeson of Carterra said: “I would add that we trust that Aberdeen City Council will assess the application on its merits and not based on a pop-up Facebook campaign initiated by a disgruntled and unsuccessful developer.
“We don’t think people should be using Facebook to attack other people and influence the population to advance their own political agenda.
“Our heritage display, cafe and quarry edge promenade are far more extensive than his would have been, and are permissible at law, whereas his never was and never will be.“
But Mr Black said that his vision was not “dead in the water” and that the level of objection locally showed that his plans had “the backing of the public”.
