Community leaders in the north-east’s largest village have said they are “disappointed” that proposals for a major industrial development have collapsed.
Plans for a new business park in Mintlaw – which could have brought hundreds of jobs, according to the developer – were unanimously rejected by councillors yesterday, despite widespread support for the project.
Aberdeenshire Council planners urged the Buchan area committee to reject the application for Nether Aden because Bancon Development did not submit a master plan.
Last night Mintlaw and district community council chairman David Coull said: “We’d look to encourage new jobs into the area, so it’s a shame it’s not going ahead. From our point of view it’s disappointing.
“The feeling we get at the moment is that people in the village are positive about the new housing developments, and this is the sort of thing needed to go along with them.”
Mr Coull said the village had become a haven for commuter families, and locals believed the scheme could have created job opportunities closer to home.
“This would save people travelling far to get to work,” he said.
“There’s not a great deal of local work beyond the village shops.”
The plans were for seven office and warehouse units spread over a 12-acre business park, as well as an access roundabout on the A95 Mintlaw to Toll of Birness road.
However, local authority planning bosses were unwilling to support the application without a master plan setting out the layout of the site.
It is understood a legal dispute between two landowners delayed the submission of the document.
The council’s roads department also objected on the grounds that Bancon had given too little information about safety measures.
Despite warning that blocking business developments could cause communities to “dwindle and die”, councillor Jim Ingram joined the rest of the committee in unanimously rejecting the plans.
“It’s a huge site and it really does need some clarification in the master plan,” he said.
“I had to go along with the recommendations, but I’m still frustrated because I’d like to see progress.”
Bancon can appeal the decision, however, the developer was unavailable for comment last night.