Plans to build nearly 1,000 homes in an Aberdeenshire town have been unveiled.
Scotia Homes has lodged a proposal of application for a “neighbourhood extension” of Ellon, which would include building 980 houses near the new academy at Cromleybank.
Under the proposals, land has also been allocated for a primary school, community facilities and four acres of employment land.
A southern bypass would also be created to reduce the amount of traffic going through the town centre and past the school.
Tomorrow, the team from Scotia Homes will hold a consultation on the proposals at the town’s New Inn Hotel, from 2pm-8pm.
Derrick Thomson, a director at the firm, said attendees would get the chance to view the development framework and masterplan for the proposals.
Mr Thomson said: “This is a neighbourhood extension. It will have its own facilities, but they are not intended to be to the detriment of the town centre in anyway.
“Key to this development will be our proposals for a new bypass to the south of Ellon, which we believe is a deliverable long-term solution to Ellon’s traffic requirements going forward.
“It will take traffic away from the town centre and away from the school.”
The new road would branch off from the A920 Ellon to Pitmedden road, go around Hillhead of Fechil and back onto the B9005 South Road, and out onto the A90 Aberdeen to Peterhead route.
The Scotia proposals were included in the local development plan 2012, and it was originally suggested another bridge should be created to ease traffic congestion in the town.
However, Mr Thomson said that subsequent transport assessments had shown a bypass would be more effective in easing traffic at the town’s junctions, while also taking heavy goods vehicles away from the town centre and back onto the A90.
Views from tomorrow’s consultation will be looked at before a planning application for the development is lodged with Aberdeenshire Council.
Two further consultations are expected to be held in the coming months.