Ambitious plans were formally launched yesterday for a new 7,000-home, £1 billion “community” situated in Aberdeen’s largest suburb.
Council chiefs gave permission in principle for the first 4,700 properties in the new Grandhome development, to be built north of Danestone, last month.
The latest designs also feature a new town centre, a business district and shops in what planners describe as “more than a housing estate”.
The group behind the scheme, the Grandhome Trust, revealed three housebuilders – Bancon Homes, Cala Homes and Dandara – will construct the first part of the project called Laverock Braes.
It will comprise some 600 homes, to be completed over the next four to five years.
The 320-hectare site is forecast to support almost 600 construction jobs a year and the first five phases of development, equivalent to 4,700 homes, will accommodate 11,500 residents with annual household expenditure totalling around £110 million.
Eventually the site could encompass 7,000 homes, set across seven neighbourhoods by 2030.
Detailed planning applications for the first phase of infrastructure, as well as Laverock Braes, will be submitted in the spring and work on site is expected to begin later this year.
Bruce Smith, a trustee of the Grandhome Trust, said: “Bringing the vision of creating an exemplary new community in this location to fruition has taken almost 20 years and we are enormously proud to be at the point where work on the first homes and neighbourhood will begin later this year.
“Grandhome combines the best in modern planning and place-making while drawing upon the unique qualities of the site and the architectural heritage of Aberdeen and north-east Scotland. Its homes, neighbourhoods and public spaces have been designed with people and quality of life in mind to promote a sense of wellbeing and community.
“Grandhome will be an exemplary place in which to live, work and invest while also contributing to the wider economic and social life of our vibrant city and region by accommodating future population growth.
“On behalf of the Trust, I wish to thank all those people and organisations that have helped bring Grandhome to this point and we now look forward to the enormously exciting first phase of development with the creation of the neighbourhood of Laverock Braes.”
John Irvine, chief executive officer of Bancon Group, said: “Bancon Homes is delighted to have been selected as a development partner by the Grandhome Trust for Laverock Braes and we look forward to working closely with them to help achieve their long term vision for Grandhome.”
Mike Naysmith, managing director at CALA Homes (North), said: “Our plans for the Grandhome development have been very carefully crafted to ensure that we enrich the new, emerging community proposed by the Grandhome Trust.
“We are delighted to be forming part of the Grandhome vision in creating a vibrant new community for the north-west edge of Aberdeen and look forward to working with the trust to bring the plans to fruition.”
Niall Macleod, land director with Dandara in Aberdeen, said: “We look forward to working with the Grandhome Trust, creating a superb new community offering the benefits of rural living within Aberdeen city, and utilising our own experience of creating successful new communities such as at the nearby Stoneywood estate.”
Bridge of Don councillors Sandy Stuart and Muriel Jaffrey declined to comment on the development yesterday.