North Kincardine Liberal Democrat councillors Paul Melling and Ian Mollison have welcomed the outcome of the 11-month long deliberations by the government’s reporters into Aberdeenshire Council’s new Local Development Plan.

This is the blueprint which sets out where future building should – and should not – take place. It also revises the council’s policies on planning. 

Councillor Melling said: “In our ward there are no significant modifications to the council’s plans for Portlethen, Elsick, Marywell, or Newtonhill.” 

“It is an endorsement of the decisions taken by the Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee after extensive consultations with the public and other interested parties.”

Councillor Mollison added: “This clears the way for the major new settlement at Elsick. It will see the majority of building in North Kincardine, and ease the pressure on existing communities.

“One important aspect to stress is that in all but exceptional circumstances developers will be asked to provide 25% of all houses as affordable.

“The reporters made one change – they threw out proposals to zone land to the west of the Causey Mounth at Cammachmore as green belt. This is a disappointment.”