Aberdeen City Council has approved a Local Development Plan that designates seven areas for housing across the city region.

The council’s planning committee approved the blueprint last night, agreeing that 21,000 new homes and 175 hectares of employment land would be required up to 2030, and settling on a plan for the next 13 years.

Kate Dean, enterprise, planning and infrastructure convener at the council, said: “This is a very important step forward for Aberdeen. The city’s planners have put a huge amount of work into preparing this vital document for Aberdeen’s future, but there is still a lot of work to be done.

“Most of the housing land allocated in the previous local development plan has been used up and Aberdeen is crying out for new, affordable homes and more business land so that the city can continue to thrive and grow.”

The plan identifies areas of the city which are suitable sites for new housing.

These are:

• Bridge of Don/Grandhome – 7,610 properties;
• Dyce/Bucksburn – 5,020 properties;
• Kingswells and Greenferns – 2,270 properties;
• Countesswells – 3,000 properties;
• Deeside – 733 properties;
• Loirston and Cove – 1,500 properties;
• Woodside – 300 properties.

The plan also details the areas earmarked for employment land, meaning they may be developed for office, distribution and other employment uses. These are:

• Bridge of Don/Grandhome – 32 hectares;
• Dyce/Bucksburn – 54.5 hectares;
• Kingswells and Greenferns – 60 hectares;
• Countesswells (including one hectare at East Arnhall) – 11 hectares;
• Deeside – five hectares;
• Loirston and Cove – 34.5 hectares.

The plan also identifies the need for the provision of schools across the city, as follows:

• Dubford and Murcar – possible requirement for rezoning of Scotstown and Greenbrae primaries and the possible need for an additional secondary school to accommodate development in the city and shire;
• Grandhome – three to four new primary schools and a new secondary school;
• Stoneywood – opportunity to replace the existing primary school on a new site to include nursery and community facilities;
• Greenferns – one new primary school including a nursery and community learning and development facilities. An extension to Heathryburn Primary may be required and additional capacity would be required at Northfield Academy, with the possibility of the school being re-built to accommodate pupils from the Maidencraig development;
• Maidencraig – extension to Fernielea primary may be required and the extension to, provision of temporary accommodation, or rebuild of Hazlehead Academy;
• Kingswells – new secondary school required
• Countesswells – two to three new primary schools would be required and a new academy, or the re-build of Hazlehead Academy to accommodate pupils from this area;
• Oldfold Farm – developer has proposed a replacement primary school which would cater for an increased school roll and provide community facilities;
• Loirston – one new primary school and one new secondary school.

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