Residents of an Aberdeenshire town have voiced their anger at plans to drive a road through what they say is a valued and wildlife-filled woodland area.
Bancon Homes are proposing to construct new access through the forested area to the north of the town, behind Larch Tree Crescent and Alder Tree Road.
The road will be similar in size to the current Hill of Banchory Road, which runs from the Tesco superstore to Raemoir Road.
It forms part of their plans for a housing development comprising 390 homes in the area at Hill of Banchory.
Opponents, however, argue the woodland area is rich in wildlife and birdlife and must be afforded protection.
A spokesman for the Hill of Banchory Road Action Group said: “These woods are packed with wildlife, including red squirrels, woodpeckers, deer, badgers and a variety of woodland birds.
“They are well-used and loved by locals. We walk our dogs there and our children play in them, learning about nature as they do so.
“There is another way – this woodland does not need to be destroyed.
“We strongly believe these plans cannot be permitted and that local residents from Banchory and beyond must voice their objections.”
Residents have also taken to social media to state their opposition to the plans and concern at the rate of growth in the town.
Vanessa Louise said: “I’ve only lived in Banchory for five years, but I cannot believe how much green space has been lost in such a short time.”
Another, Andrew Blanche, called the potential effect on the woodland “a travesty”.
Residents plan to voice their objections directly to planners at a drop-in session at Banchory Town Hall next week.
The event takes place on Thursday March 7 between 12.30pm and 7pm and has been organised by Bancon.
In a letter to local residents inviting them to the session, Bancon said they believed the distributor road could be delivered most “efficiently and sensitively” at the proposed site.
The letter states: “It is our intention to seek planning permission for this route in the coming months, but we are keen to discuss the matter with local residents in advance to ensure we reflect any comments or concerns within our application.”
It said the invitation was “not a planning requirement, but rather a genuine invite to discuss the matter openly before we commit to making a planning application”.
