I FR068

4. Site Details Name of the site OP2 (Please use the LOP name if the site is already allocated) Site address Coutens, Oldmeldrum OS grid reference (if available) NJ8040227768 Site area/size 4.57 hectares Current land use Disused Farm & Buildings Brownfield/greenfield Both Please include an Ordnance Survey map (I: 1250 or I :2500 base for larger sites, e.g. over 2ha) showing t he location and extent of the site, points of access, means of drainage etc.

Part owner

6. Legal Issues Are there any legal provisions in the title deeds No that may prevent or restrict development? (e.g. way leave for utility providers, restriction N/A on use of land, right of way etc.) Are there any other legal factors that might No prevent or restrict development? (e.g. ransom strips/issues with accessing the N/A site etc.)

7. Planning History Have you had any formal/informal No pre-application discussions with the Initial draft layout on OP2 part of the site. Advice on Planning Service and what was the previous approval and landscaped area. response? Previous planning applications N/A Previous 'Call for sites' history. Site allocated. See Main Issues Report 20 13 at www.aberdeenshire.gov.uklldp Local Development Plan status Yes - Housing and Employment. www.aberdeenshire,goy.yklldj;! Housing only

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8. Proposed Use Proposed use Housing Housing Approx. no of units 85

Proposed mix of house Number of: types • Standard plot size shown

Number of:

• Standard plot size shown Tenure Private (Delete as appropriate) Affordable housing 25% proportion

Employment Business and offices N/A General industrial N/A Storage and distribution N/A Do you have a specific N/A occupier for the site?

Other Proposed use (please N/A specify) and floor space Do you have a specific N/A occupier for the site?

Is the area of each proposed use noted N/A in the OS site plan?

9. Delivery Timescales We expect to adopt the new LDP in 2021 . 0-5 years How many years after this date would you 6-10 years ./ expect development to begin? (please tick) 10+ years When would you expect the development 0-5 years to be finished? (please tick) 6-10 years ./

+ IOyears Have discussions taken place with Yes financiers? Will funding be in place to cover Owner and bank funding. all the costs of development within these t imescales Are there any other risk or threats (other No than finance) to you delivering your proposed development N/A

I 0. Natural Heritage Is the site located in or within 500m of a RAMSAR Site NO nature conservation site, or affect a Special Area of Conservation NO protected species? Special Protection Area NO

Priority habitat (Annex I) NO Please t ick any that apply and provide European Protected Species NO details. Other protected species NO

Site of Special Scientific Interest NO You can find details of these designations at: National Nature Reserve NO • https://www .environ ment.gov .scot/ Ancient Woodland NO • EU priority habitats at Trees, hedgerows and woodland

htq~://gatewa~.snh.gov.uklsitelinklindex (including trees with a Tree NO

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~ Preservation Order)

• UK or Local priority habitats at Priority habitat (UK or Local NO htt'tJ_ ://www.biodiversi~scotland .gov.ukla Biodiversity Action Plan) dy_ice-and-resources/habitat- Local Nature Conservation Site NO defin itions/'tJ_riori~D Local Nature Reserve NO

• Local Nature Conservation Sites in the N/A LOP's Supplementary Guidance No. 5 at www.aberdeenshire.gov.uklldrJ.

Biodiversity enhancement Please state what benefits for biodiversity Restoration of habitats N/A this proposal will bring (as per paragraph Habitat creation in public open space YES 194 in Scottish Planning Policy), Avoids fragmentation or isolation of N/A htt'tJ_://www.gov.scot/Resource/0045/004538 habitats 27.rJ.df) by ticking all that apply. Please Provides bird/bat/insect boxes/Swift YES provide details. bricks (internal or external)

Native tree planting YES See Planning Advice 5/20 15 on Drystone wall YES Opportunities for biodiversity enhancement Living roofs NO at: Ponds and soakaways YES www.aberdeenshire.gov.uklmedia/19S9S/20 Habitat walls/fences MAYBE 15 Q5-0rJ.J20t:tunities-for-biodiver~~- Wildflowers in verges MAYBE enhancement-in-new-develo'tJ_ment.pdf

Use of nectar rich plant species MAYBE

Advice is also available from Scottish Buffer strips along watercourses YES

Natural Heritage at: Show home demonstration area NO

httJ2s://www .snh.scot/ erofessional-Other N/A

advice/elanning-and-develoement/natural-Please provide details: N/A

heritage-advice-elanners-and-develoeers and http://www.nesbiodiversi~.org.ukl.

I I. Historic environment Historic environment enhancement Please state if there will be benefits for the No historic environment. N/A

Does the site contain/is within/can affect any Scheduled Monument or their NO of the following historic environment assets? setting Please tick any that apply and provide Locally important archaeological site details. held on the Sites and Monuments NO You can find details of these designations at Record

• h tt'tJ_:/ /his tori cscotland. ma'tJ_s .arcgi s. com/a Listed Building and/or their setting NO RrJ.SNiewer/index.html?arJ.rJ.id= 18d2608ac Conservation Area (e.g. will it result NO 1284066ba3927312710dl6d in the demolition of any buildings)

• htt'tJ_:/ /'tJ_ortal.h istoricenvironment.scQtl Inventory Gardens and Designed NO • htt'tJ_s://online.aberdeenshire.gov.uklsmrrJ. Landscapes

ub/master/default.aspx?Authori~=Aberd Inventory Historic Battlefields NO e~nsh ire N/A

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12.Landscape Impact Is the site within a Special Landscape Area No (SLA)? N/A (You can find details in Supplementary Guidance 9 at www.aberdeenshire.gov.uklldR)

SLAs include the consideration of landscape character elements/features. The characteristics of landscapes are defined in Site is already allocated in the LDP. No adverse the Landscape Character Assessments impact on landscape character. Sits within produced by Scottish Natural Heritage (see settlement boundary adjacent to other below) or have been identified as Special development. Landscape Areas of local importance.

• SNH: Landscape Character Assessments httRs:/ /www .snh.scot/ Rrofessional-advice/landscaRe-changellandscaRe-character-assessment

• SNH (1996) Cairngorms landscape assessment httR://www.snh.org.ukiRdfs/Rublications/ review/075.Rdf

• SNH ( 1997) National programme of landscape character assessment: Banff and Buchan httR://www.snh.org.ukiRdfs/Rublications/ review/037.Rdf

• SNH ( 1998) South and Central Aberdeenshire landscape character assessment httR://www.snh.org.ukiRdfs/Rublications/ review/ I 02.Rdf

13. Flood Risk Is any part of the site identified as being at No risk of river or surface water flooding within N/A SEPA flood maps, and/or has any part ofthe site previously flooded?

(You can view the SEPA flood maps at httR://maR.SeRa.org.uklfloodmaR/maR.htm) Could development on the site result in No additional flood risk elsewhere? N/A

Could development of the site help alleviate No any existing flooding problems in the area? N/A

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14. Infrastructure a. Water I Drainage Is there water/waste water capacity for the Water Yes proposed development (based on Scottish Water asset capacity search tool http.://www.~cottishwater.co.uklbusiness/Conn Waste water No- Upgrade ections/Connecting-):our-propeay./Asset- complete by 2022 Capaci~-Search)?

Has contact been made with Scottish Water? Yes In general re upgrade timescales.

Will your SUDS scheme include rain gardens? No http://www.centralscotlandgreennetwork.org/c ampaigns/greener-gardens b. Education - housing proposals only Education capacity/constraints See supporting statement. https://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uklschools/pare nts-care rs/ ~ch oo 1-i nfo/ school-roll-forecasts/ Has contact been made with the Local No Authority's Education Department? c. Transport If direct access is required onto a Trunk Road No (A90 and A96), or the proposal will impact on traffic on a Trunk Road, has contact been made with Transport Scotland? Has contact been made with the Local No Authority's Transportation Service? They can be contacted at transportation.consultation@aberdeenshire.go v.uk Public transport Existing bus service (local and regional).

Active travel Existing network. Bus interchange. (i.e. internal connectivity and links externally)

d. Gas/Electricity/Heat/Broadband Has contact been made with the relevant Gas: No utilities providers?

Electricity: No

Heat: No

Broadband: No

Have any feasibility studies been undertaken to No understand and inform capacity issues? Is there capacity within the existing network(s) Don't know and a viable connection to the network(s)? Will renewable energy be installed and used on Yes the site? To be agreed. For example, heat pump (air, ground or

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water), biomass, hydro, solar (photovoltaic (electricity) or thermal), or a wind turbine (freestanding/integrated into the building)

e . Public open space Yes Will the site provide the opportunity to

enhance the green network? (These are the linked areas of open space in settlements, which can be enhanced through amalgamating existing green networks or providing onsite green infrastructure)

Links to neighbouring landscaping as part

You can find the boundary of existing green networks in the settlement profiles in the LDP Will the site meet the open space standards, as set out in Appendix 2 in the Aberdeenshire Parks and Open Spaces Strategy? https://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uklmedia/6077/ approvedpandospacesstrategy.pdf

Yes

Will the site deliver any of the shortfalls identified in the Open Space Audit for specific settlements? https://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/commu nities -and-events/parks-and-open-spaces/open­space-strategy-audit/

Already reasonable provision.

f. Resource use Yes Will the site re-use existing structure(s) or

recycle or recover existing on-site materials/resources?

Existing building stone.

Will the site have a direct impact on the water environment and result in the need for watercourse crossings, large scale abstraction and/or culverting of a watercourse?

IS. Other potential constraints

No

Please identify whether the site is affected by any of the following potential constraints: Aberdeen Green Belt No https:/[www.aberdeenshire.goy.uk/media/205SS/i,!ppendix-3-boundaries-of-the-greenbelt. pdf Carbon-rich soils and peatland No http://www.snh.gov.uklplanning-and-development/advice-for-p lanners-and-developer~/~oils-and-deve!Qpment/cpp/

Coastal Zone No https://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uklmedia/20 176/4-the-coastal-zone. pdf Contaminated land No Ground instability No Hazardous site/HSE exclusion zone No (You can find the boundary of these zones in Planning Advice I /20 17 Pipeline and Hazardous Development Consultation Zones at http~ ://www.aberdeenshire.goy.uk/planninglplans-and-policies/planning-advice/ and advice at httf!_://www.hse.gov.ukllanduseplanning/developers.htm) Minerals - safeguarded or area of search

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http_s://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uklldp_media/6 Area of search and safeguard for minerals.p_df No

Overhead lines or underground cables No Physical access into the site due to topography or geography No Prime agricultural land (grades I, 2 and 3. 1) on all or part of the site. No http_://map_.environment.gov.scot/Soil map_sl?la~er=6

'Protected' open space in the LDP (i.e. P sites) No www.aberdeenshire.gov.uklldp_ and choose from Appendix Sa to Sf Rights of way/core paths/recreation uses No Topography (e.g. steep slopes) Yes Other Change to housing only

as topography is difficu lt fo r larger veh icles accessing employment area.

16. Proximity to facilities How close is the site to Local shops 400m a range of facilities?

Community facilities (e.g. school, 400m *Delete as appropriate

public hall) Sports facilities (e.g. playing fields 400m

Employment areas 400m

Residential areas 400m

Bus stop or bus route 400m

Train station >lkm

Other, e.g. dentist, pub (please 400m ./400m- l km ./ >lkm ./ specify) Various all within walking

distance including transport interchange.

17. Community engagement Has the local community been given the Not yet opportunity to influence/partake in the design and specification of the development proposal? N/A

Visit to Community Council late Spri ng/early Summer 2018.

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18. Residual value and deliverability Please confirm that you have considered the I have considered the likely ' residual value' of 'residual value' of your site and you are the site, as described above, and fully expect confident that the site is viable when the site to be viable: infrastructure and all other costs, such as

Please tick: 0 constraints and mitigation are taken into account. See supporting statement.

19. Other information

See supporting statement.

Please tick to confirm your agreement to the following statement:

By completing this form I agree that Aberdeenshire Council can use the information provided in this form for the purposes of identifying possible land for allocation in the next Local Development Plan. I also agree that the information provided, other than contact details and information that is deemed commercially sensitive (questions I to 3), can be made available to the public.

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The indicative capacity of the site is for 85 units including 21 affordable units on site.

In terms of design two points of access are shown onto the 89170. The proposal is for

housing development only with areas of open space, landscaping, pedestrian access and

linkages. The site is steeply sloping in places and this dictates the chosen layout.

Previous LOP's (2012 + 2017) have allocated part of this site for housing and employment.

{2012- 50 houses and 2 hectares of employment land on smaller site); (2017- 50 houses

and 4.2 hectares of employment land on the larger site).

The landscaping required in association with the adjacent historical development by Taylor

Wimpey has now been implemented. This landscaped area now allocated as part of OP2,

should not have been included in the 2017 LDP, as it was to be for strategic landscaping. It

certainly should not have been included to allow an enlargement of the site to provide

employment land. We must therefore revert to the remaining development land available

and the adjacent brownfield site at Coutens. We must also question the requirement for

employment land in this area. The area of developable land for housing is shown on the

accompanying plan.

In terms of the transportation the site is well located with direct access onto the 89170

Old meld rum bypass in close proximity to existing residential development, the Academy and

the town centre. Pedestrian linkages are available via the bypass footpath network and

through the existing development to the town centre.

Developer obligations contributions towards all identified areas of infrastructure and services

would be acceptable. Pupils from this development are zoned to Meldrum Primary and

Meldrum Academy. The Primary School is operating in excess of capacity, however, from

2021 onwards the roll will fall again. Discussions can be held with Education to determine if

contributions are required. The Academy will be operating marginally over capacity by 1% in

2022. Again, discussions with Education can determine if contributions are required.

The employment allocation at present is questionable. In terms of delivery this site has

included an employment allocation on it for a number of years including 2 hectares in the

2012 LDP and 4.2 hectares on a larger 2017 LDP site (incorrectly). The marketing of this

particular area of ground for employment has been unsuccessful. Notwithstanding any

economic downturn, this is not an attractive or deliverable site for employment use. No

interest in this land for employment has been generated in more than 7 years of it being

marketed as such. It is not a good location for employment located on the periphery of the

settlement adjacent to existing and planned residential development and also in close

proximity to a school. There is a dedicated area for business and employment to the

southern side of Oldmeldrum which has been very successful and should be extended

instead. The levels on the site, which are steep in places, also do not lend themselves to

access from larger articulated vehicles. When the Co-op were looking for retail premises in

Oldmeldrum, this site was discounted for this reason as the site is just not accessible.

Taking away the landscaped area for and employment land, there remains

an area of land which can still be delivered for housing, including the adjacent former

Coutens farm buildings. A housing only allocation fits in with the character of the

surrounding area and is able to be accessed along with areas of open space, SUDS and

footpath linkages. It also sees a brownfield site being developed.

The main and current issue with delivery of housing land in Oldmeldrum is lack of foul

drainage capacity in the Waste Water Treatment Plant. While at least three housing sites

have been available for development in Oldmeldrum in the period since 2012, the economic

situation has had an impact on delivery. Now that these sites are showing signs of being

delivered, the foul drainage issue is a concern. However, the timescales for delivery of this

site would tie in with the planned upgrade to Oldmeldrum Waste Water Treatment Plant by

2022 following discussions with Scottish Water.

It should be noted that in discussion with the Community Council, there is an appreciation

that for the town of Oldmeldrum to prosper in the near future, development land, and in

particular development land for housing, must be provided. Without new development the

town will stagnate and there will be less likelihood of new services and facilities coming to

the town. This is a modest increase in the allocated housing figures on this site.

Oldmeldrum remains an important settlement in the heart of the region with its excellent

linkages locally and beyond. There has been a material change in circumstances in

Oldmeldrum - development needs to happen to support the estimated sustainable growth of

the town. This is a realistic and deliverable allocation for Oldmeldrum, building on the

acceptability of this location for residential development as promoted in previous and the

current Local Development Plans. To ensure available capacity it is suggested that the site

could be developed 2026-2031 .