An additional decade will be afforded to developers seeking to transform a 19th-century seminary in Aberdeenshire into homes and a hotel.
Council planners are recommending elected members continue to back plans to renovate Blairs College despite a near decade-long wait for them to come to fruition.
They have done so despite the belief of local objectors that the ambitious project may never be completed.
The JW Muir Group, and its subsidiary Hermiston Securities, was granted permission to renovate the historic site, on South Deeside Road, almost a decade ago.
Development has stalled in recent years, however, with the 2015 North Sea oil price crash just one factor.
And because too many years have passed since planning permission in principle was first secured, the developers have been forced to appeal for Aberdeenshire Council to grant them more time.
Locals have said they have “no confidence” it will materialise, but council officers have recommended to members of the Kincardine and Mearns area committee, which meets next week, that they back the extension.
And locals have been told the delay may enable the community to secure the new bridge they have been waiting for.
In his report, the council’s director of infrastructure services, Stephen Archer, says: “In light of the scale of the development proposals, the planning service considers it appropriate to allow 10 years as a reasonable compromise for the submission of further applications.”
Among the concerns of those opposed to the extension has been a failure to build a bridge across the River Dee at Blairs, which the developers previously said they would do.
But the report by Mr Archer also said relaxing the time limit on the project would “facilitate in bringing forward the programme of development, which includes the delivery of the bridge”.
Stewart McPhail, director at Hermiston, said: “This is very positive news, and a big step forward to allow us to provide a bit more certainty and, among other things, bring our plans for the bridge forward.
“Overall, we’re very pleased and I’m looking forward to giving councillors an update on where we are and what we’ve been doing.”
The application will be considered next week by councillors.
