Villagers locked in a long-running battle over plans to build 20 houses near their homes have suffered a fresh setback, with council planners now backing the proposal.
Residents in St Fergus, outside Peterhead, have objected to plans for land at Newton Road as they say it will endanger their safety and destroy their privacy.
They were relieved in January when councillors knocked back the proposals, agreeing that they were “unsuitable for the site”.
But developers ARD Properties last month submitted a revised application to Aberdeenshire Council, aiming to allay any concerns by changing the level of the site and removing the cul-de-sac style.
A drainage way has also been designed to ease worries about flooding, and planning chiefs have now recommended that Banff and Buchan area committee approve the scheme on Tuesday.
Concerned resident Stephen Baird has complained about dust from the development blowing into his property already.
Last night, he said: “Breathing in construction dust isn’t just a nuisance, it can cause harm.”
Mr Baird also claimed that suggested “alterations to the landscaping scheme” designed to protect his privacy and prevent overshadowing are insufficient.
A spokeswoman for ARD Properties said some works had already gone ahead to make sure the site was safe for development.
The council’s head of infrastructure services, Stephen Archer, wrote in a report that the proposal was “acceptable”, with certain conditions attached.
