Developers have unveiled their latest vision for a massive 600-home village on the outskirts of Fraserburgh.
The multimillion-pound development at Kirton, which is likely to feature a primary school and health centre as well as a range of businesses, has been in the pipeline for several years and is expected to provide a welcome boost to the town’s dwindling population.
Yesterday, consultants Knight Frank revealed the revised masterplan for the site at a public consultation exercise at the Broch’s Museum of Scottish Lighthouses.
They want residents to help shape the development before the first of a series of planning applications is submitted later this summer.
Senior planner Gary Purves said feedback from locals at the session had been generally very positive.
He said: “The layout we’ve got here is our starter for 10 and people have a lot of questions about it, as well as suggestions about how it can be improved. That’s what we’re here for, we’ll take all these comments onboard and modify the plan as much as we can.”
The proposal includes 10 acres of employment land, which is likely to be used for new businesses and shops. The Press and Journal understands that fast food chain McDonalds has already expressed an interest in moving onto the site.
Aberdeenshire Council has also requested that a cemetery is included in the plan.
The earmarked greenfield site is south of Boothby Road and west of the A90 Fraserburgh-Peterhead road.
If the application is successful, the land will be transformed into a vibrant new community to boost Fraserburgh’s dwindling population of about 12,000 by 10%.
Aberdeenshire councillors could agree the masterplan by the end of the summer.
After that, a detailed planning application for the first phase of the development – about 120 houses – will be submitted by local builder Colaren Properties.
The development is part of the long-running Fraserburgh Masterplan project, which was launched more than a decade ago to make the town a more attractive place to live and visit.
Much of the inspiration for the Kirkton village came from Poundbury, an experimental new village on the outskirts of Dorchester which was designed around ideas by the Prince of Wales.
Many of the prince’s own theories were used at Poundbury, where both rented and privately owned homes, shops, leisure facilities, schools, factories, workshops and offices were integrated against a backdrop of local, traditional architecture in interesting street patterns.
Fraserburgh’s Kirkton scheme will also concentrate on traditional architecture and create a community, village-style atmosphere.