Plans to create an industrial park in Buchan’s biggest village could bring essential jobs to the north-east.
Designs for a business park in Mintlaw, which would include space for a household waste recycling centre, have this week been submitted to Aberdeenshire Council.
The application comes a year after developer Knight Frank first alerted the local authority about an “imminent application” for the site, near Barling Road.
The Northwoods Business Park scheme is proposed by architects Baxter Design, Knight Frank and builders Cameron and Ross.
And in a design statement submitted alongside the application, a spokesman for firms said the park had been designed to dissuade antisocial drivers.
“The proposed roads within the development have been designed to accommodate larger industrial vehicles and allow them to move freely within the site, whilst avoiding areas for cars to gain excessive speeds or forming ‘racetracks’ in the evenings,” he added.
“The aim of the development is to bring employment to the local area.
“This application will allow a long-term approach to be taken to provide sufficient, deliverable employment opportunities to meet strategic and local need and facilitate growth of the community.”
The completed development will consist of a mix of small to large premises, allowing for both start-up units and heavy industrial bases.
The larger units will be situated further away from the road, towards the north of the site to help retain the character of the area and to screen them from the public.
Several hundred homes are currently under construction in Mintlaw, and there have been repeated calls for new business units to be created.
Local councillor Jim Ingram welcomed “anything that brings jobs to the area”.
“We as councillors may quibble over the details when they come in but I fully support it in principle,” he said.
“Mintlaw’s growing in every direction and jobs are essential. Anything that brings jobs into the area is more than welcome.”
The council’s principal engineer Paul Finch said the transport service – a consultee on the application – would not be prepared to comment on Baxter’s bid until a full transport assessment had been submitted.
