Councillors have approved plans to allow a north-east property owner to store an oil tank outside his home.
Dino-Sabato Bevilacqua, of Aberdeen, constructed a storage building at number 36 in Sandend village for fuel used to heat the property.
But he had faced objections from the local authority and neighbours, who believe the small shed set a dangerous precedent for the conservation area and created an obstruction for vehicles.
Members of Aberdeenshire Council’s Banff and Buchan area committee were split on how to handle the application before a site visit last week.
But yesterday, they approved the scheme by a 4-3 vote, subject to Mr Bevilacqua changing the outside cladding of the structure.
Mr Bevilacqua, who applied for the shed retrospectively, had been represented at committee by planning agent Gary Black.
The latter argued the shed was built in the same location as one previously used to store coal.
He added: “It is a replacement and it is an enhancement. It would be costly for him to move now.”
Councillors were told by authority planners the shed was unacceptable in its current location, but that any dispute over access to a lane it obstructed was a civil matter between neighbours.
Councillors John Cox, Mark Findlater, Michael Roy and Iain Taylor voted to approve the building.
Councillors Charles Buchan, Ian Tait and Brian Topping voted to refuse.
Fraserburgh councillor Michael Watt had spoken in favour of it being approved, but did not vote at yesterday’s meeting.
He said: “I disagree with the comments of the planners – it seems to be acceptable. We need to make it attractive for people and young families to move in.”
In his report on the storage area, Stephen Archer, the council’s director of infrastructure services, urged councillors to refuse the scheme.
He claimed: “It does not respect its setting or contribute to the creation of local identity for the area.”
