Plans for more than 100 new homes in Aberdeen have been conditionally approved – despite concerns the proposals could leave city schools over capacity.
The council’s planning committee yesterday rubber-stamped plans for 99 houses on the edge of Bridge Of Don and another 30 in Milltimber.
But both developers – Chingmere Limited and Stewart Milne Homes – will have to meet several conditions before starting work.
Concerns were raised that the plans for Milltimber’s Contlaw Road would leave local schools overflowing.
The site was earmarked for residential use when councillors agreed the local development plan (LDP) in 2017 but initially only 10 homes were envisaged for the land.
Council planning officer, Alex Ferguson, voiced fears that allowing three times as many to be built in the space could set a risky precedent.
The scheme was endorsed despite an admission from council education official Maria Thies that Cults Academy could end up as many as 50 pupils over capacity based on school roll projections.
Local councillor and planning convener Marie Boulton raised concerns that Milltimber School was “packed to the rafters”.
Ms Thies confirmed current numbers would mean the primary school would be overstretched but said the houses would not be built before its replacement opened at Oldfold.
Among the 21 conditions councillors attached to their approval of the plans was a £451,612 bill for Stewart Milne Homes to pay towards the new school and a further £15,000 for the secondary.
Chingmere Limited’s 99-house Bridge Of Don development, at Mundurno between the B999 Aberdeen to Potterton road and the suburb of Dubford, was also subject to more than £500,000 in developer contributions.