The Scottish Government has rejected a planning appeal which could have seen a traditional fishing cottage in a north-east village demolished and replaced with a new property.
Aberdeen firm Fitzgerald and Associates appealed to government reporters after a scheme to construct a three-bedroom house in Inverallochy was thrown out by councillors last year.
Local resident George Nicol wanted to demolish the 150-year-old cottage at 5 Main Street and start work on a modern build.
However, councillors felt the proposal – which would have replaced the one-and-a-half storey building in the fishing village – would not be in keeping with the surrounding properties, and would not add to the character of the conservation area.
Andrew Fleming, the reporter assigned to the appeal case, has now backed councillors and blocked the scheme from going ahead in its current form.
He wrote: “I acknowledge the positive aspects of the design, which seek to reflect the form and footprint of the typical fisher houses.
“[But] I find the proposed design overall, including use of materials, would not preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the conservation area or respect the individual characteristics for which the conservation area was designated.
“I have considered all the other matters raised but there are none which would lead me to alter my conclusions.”
Mr Nicol’s agents had argued that the existing property on Main Street had no “value” within the conservation zone.
In appealing the area committee’s decision, a spokesman wrote to the Scottish Government: “We strongly believe that a case for demolition has been presented, and that the design takes on board and reflects the character of the conservation area.”
The local authority had first earmarked the proposal for refusal in August 2016.
At the time, Stephen Archer, the director of Aberdeenshire Council’s infrastructure services, concluded the new home would not be “appropriate” in the setting.
In a letter of objection, local man Stewart Fisher added that the home would cause chaos on the village’s roads which are mostly single-track.
