Progress Report, March 2010

1. Progress Report, March 2010

2. Introduction Proposals to explore development opportunities within the Stonehaven South area were unveiled in July 2008. The development partners, Dunecht Estates, Bancon Developments and Stewart Milne Homes, believe the area has the potential to create a sustainable, integrated community expansion. It can deliver homes, employment, education and medical facilities, retail provision, recreation and amenity land. It can also protect and enhance the environment and heritage of the area. Crucially, Stonehaven South is a site that can deliver in terms of infrastructure, services and facilities. It can also deliver sensitive and phased development within a structured timeframe. Stonehaven South will be fully integrated into the existing community to ensure new opportunities are available for all Stonehaven residents and benefit the town.

3. The area

4. Stonehaven area development • The proposals are consistent with the aims of the Aberdeen City and Shire Structure Plan approved on August 14, 2009. • The development area falls within the Huntly-Laurencekirk corridor, designated as a Strategic Growth Area within the plan. • The plan also allocates 5,600 houses in the Portlethen- Stonehaven area up until 2030. • The proposed site is designated as possible for development in Aberdeenshire Council’s published Main Issues Report. • The site was seen as the preferred area for future development in the Imagine Stonehaven Planning Strategy. • Aspects of the proposals such as a site for a school and business land are included in the draft Local Development Plan policies published by Aberdeenshire Council.

5. Public consultation A public exhibition of the proposals was held in Stonehaven in July 2008 and was well attended. Visitors expressed their views in questionnaires and made comments directly to the partnership representatives. Key feedback points included:- • The vast majority of visitors welcomed the proposals. • Most offered suggestions for ways the proposals could be enhanced. • Facilities and amenities were essential to the success of the proposed development. • Most agreed that Stonehaven would need to grow and supported the provision of greater employment opportunities for the area. • A small minority expressed opposition to the location of the proposed development. • Some expressed concern that what was being proposed would actually be delivered. • A very small minority were against any further development in Stonehaven regardless of location. • Those who were opposed to the location or the development mainly cited visual impact reasons.

6. Public consultation Following the exhibition the development partners embarked on a further consultation programme with residents, community groups, community councils, councillors and MSPs. As a result of this consultation and the suggestions we have received our proposals have been revised. Issues addressed include:- • Visual impact of the proposed site • Transport infrastructure • Provision of allotments • Provision of playing fields/sports facilities • Provision of land for hotel/medical facilities • Coastal Park proposals • Retail provision

7. Public consultation The partnership has met with both Stonehaven and District Community Council and Catterline, Kinneff and Dunnottar Community Council. • Following initial consultation and presentations, SDCC has not sought further information from the developers. Further approaches have been made to the council seeking the opportunity to present the revised proposals • CKDCC took the view it welcomed the opportunity to contribute to the proposals and dialogue has continued. Key issues councillors raised:- • Good infrastructure, community facilities and the timing of their provision. The development should not solely be a housing development • The protection of views. War Memorial/Dunnottar Castle • Location of Allotment sites

8. Public consultation • Constructive dialogue has been held with the Stonehaven Allotments Association. Allotment space allocated in the masterplan has been revised in accordance with the wishes of the association. • Dialogue has been held with HNS Grampian regarding the provision of medical facilities. • Dialogue with dentists regarding provision of surgery facilties. • There has been contact with interested parties such as Historic Scotland, SNH and the RSPB on the proposed Country Park. • Constructive dialogue with Mackie Academy FPs who have ruled out alternative proposals.

9. Consultation outcome • Visual impact issues have been addressed • The site masterplan has been revised significantly. Key changes:- Local centre – Recreational Space – playing fields Greenspace and shelterbelts Allotments Coastal Park

10. Visual impact – key viewpoints Top: View of the proposed area from the north of Stonehaven with development completed. Right: View from the beach at Stonehaven. The site is largely hidden from view due to the elevated topography.

11. Visual impact – War Memorial Above: The view of the site from the Black Hill War Memorial, including existing development at Braehead.

12. Masterplan evolution – initial plan

13. Revised masterplan • Over past 18 months and in response to public feedback, additional work has been undertaken on the masterplan that has helped develop more ideas for the planning of the site. • There is a significant mix of land uses included within the Stonehaven South area. • These have been connected through footpath and road linkages. • Non-housing uses have been set aside from housing areas through the use of landscape treatment and open spaces to remove possible adverse effects on residential amenity.  • Options within the site include the potential for an energy centre that can provide power and heat to the commercial buildings, public facilities and to residential properties.

14. Masterplan provision • Retail (local) 945sqm / 10,171 sqft • Health 720sqm / 7,760sqft • School 2725sqm / 29,339sqft • Leisure 2,800sqm / 30,138sqft • Hotel (footprint) 1,973 sqm / 21, 226 sqft • Supermarket 4,770sqm / 51,343sqft • Energy centre = 1408sqm / 15,155sqft • Restaurant = 729sqm / 7,846sqft

15. Local centre • The latest masterplan looks to create a focus in and around the local centre that can combine various uses including the primary school, leisure centre, doctors' surgery and small scale retail uses. • This location would be accessible by foot from all parts of the Stonehaven South area as well as be connected by the local bus service to the rest of the town.

16. Recreational space • Substantial recreational and green space has been planned within the development site. • An extensive landscape framework that builds on the existing woodland, belts and Newtonleys woods, has been defined which will offer people the chance to move easily through this area and connect Dunnottar Woods with the coastal zone to the east. • A new footpath network will also link to the Black Hill Memorial and Dunnottar Castle.

17. Hotel • The provision of land for the establishment of a hotel is a response to feedback received during the public consultation exercise. The hotel is situated close to the supermarket and business area. A 100-bedroom hotel could be created within a two-storey building.

18. Allotments • The allotments have been provided in a generous sheltered site to the south of the A92 following constructive dialogue with the Stonehaven Allotments Association.

19. Sports pitches • Sports pitches are situated in the north of the development site and reflect the stated requirements of Mackie Academy FPs which include sufficient parking, changing facilities and the potential for a club house.

20. Coastal Park • The proposals for the creation of a coastal park have been well received by members of the public and interested bodies. • A coastal park would mean land protected from future development. • The park has been designed in the masterplan to provide good access to Dunnottar Castle and the coastal path. • The development partners have had contact with SNH, Historic Scotland and RSPB. • The provision of a visitor centre at Dunnottar Castle is also being explored. • The listed buildings within or close to the development site - Glasslaw Bridge, Stonehaven • Radio Station, Black Hill War Memorial, Invercarron Tollhouse - are protected by National Planning Policy Guidelines and are unaffected.

21. Planning • A separate planning application for a supermarket at East Newtonleys has been submitted and is soon to be determined. • Stonehaven residents could be shopping at the new supermarket within a year. • A supermarket at East Newtonleys would be an appropriate site in view of the Scottish Government’s decision on the AWPR route. • A planning application has also been made for the creation of a road to improve connectivity between the supermarket and the town centre as required by the Roads Service and Transport Scotland. • The necessity for a new road at EastNewtonleys to replace the existing A957 emerged following a public inquiry into developments around Stonehaven in 1997. It has been regarded as important both to service the supermarket and the land zoned for future business use. • These applications are being progressed regardless of the Stonehaven South proposals.

22. Supermarket location plan • The proposed location of the supermarket lies in an area designated for employment use in the extant local Plan and for which planning consent has been granted for business and industrial development. • The extant Local Plan confirms retail is an acceptable use within designated employment sites • Planning consent was also granted for additional mainstream and affordable housing at Braehead. • As a consequence of these developments, the area is already being provided with services which can accommodate further expansion.

23. Transport • The proposed development fits well with the confirmed route of the AWPR. • A new bus ‘Town Service’ will be created for the area. • Existing services will be improved when inter town buses divert on to the new spine road that runs through the centre of the site. • All homes in the new community will be within 5 minutes of a bus stop. • There will be frequent bus connections to Stonehaven railway station - 1 mile from the centre of the Stonehaven South area. • Attractive and safe pedestrian and cycle routes will be created. • ‘Green’ travel plans for all the business and commercial development that takes place on the site will be devised.

24. Employment • Business and industrial land in Stonehaven provided by the Spurryhillock Industrial Estate has been fully taken up since the early 1990s. Stonehaven has lost out to other satellite towns in Aberdeenshire on employment opportunities because of lack of viable land. • Stonehaven South can provide a significant area of employment land to accommodate office space as well as warehousing and industrial facilities. An area of 24 acres at East Newtonleys is currently allocated for business use in the adopted Aberdeenshire local plan and has planning consent. A material start has already been made on the Development.

25. Education • Expansion of Stonehaven will require additional school places, both primary and secondary. • Dunnottar Primary School is located closest to the Stonehaven South area. It is already over capacity and is forecast to be 15% over capacity by 2016. • The project team have identified that a new primary school in Stonehaven South can serve the new community and also has the potential to address capacity problems at Dunnottar Primary School. • Aberdeenshire Council has made provision in its capital programme for a replacement school and has identified Stonehaven South as the preferred location. • The development partners intend to make land available for a new primary school. • The existing Mackie Academy site is considered to be capable of accommodating the extension/expansion which growth at Stonehaven South necessitates.

26. Homes The revised master plan includes a mix of housing, including affordable housing, within the development site. The masterplan provides for:- • Townhouses      110 • Terraces            128 • Semi-detached 126 • Detached          404 • Flats                 156 • Total                 924

27. Bervie Braes • Recent damage at the Braes has, according to Aberdeenshire Council, been caused by extreme rainfall during exceptionally bad weather. • Only a small section along the northern border of the Stonehaven South site is situated above the Braes, and the proposed Stonehaven South development will have no effect on the Bervie Braes whatsoever. • The main section of Stonehaven South is set well back from the Bervie Braes, beyond Braehead Farm. It slopes to the north east and any water currently running off the site will go in the direction of Dunnottar Woods. However, following development, surface water will be controlled by the use of sustainable urban drainage systems (such as intervention ponds) which will have to be approved by SEPA and Aberdeenshire Council’s Flood Prevention Unit. Water will only be discharged into identified outfall locations on the Glasslaw Burn ( as agreed by SEPA and The Council’s FPU) when it is safe to do so.

28. Conclusion • This is an outstanding opportunity to create a sustainable new town expansion which will have very little impact on the environment yet which offers local people access to a range of facilities which the town desperately needs. • If the local community feel that a slower rate of development is more desirable, then the provision of these facilities can be phased accordingly. • It is an opportunity on which the development partners are committed to continuous consultation and dialogue with all interested parties.