Laurencekirk flyover: Outrage as developers push plans to build 247 new houses despite campaigners’ concerns

The residential development has been on hold since 2016 due to concerns it would create too much traffic in the area - if an A90 flyover is not in place.

By Denny Andonova

May 2 2023, 6:00 am

AB30 Developments Ltd are pushing plans to build 247 new houses near Laurencekirk. Image: Kris Miller and Halliday Fraser Munro.

Campaigners have hit out at proposals to revive plans for 247 new houses near the notorious Laurencekirk junction.

The residential development on Fourdon Road has been on pause for nearly six years due to unanimous concerns from locals and councillors over “dangerous” rise in traffic.

The plans were pushed back and forth between the Kincardine and Mearns area committee and the Scottish Government for a year, until they were approved in 2017.

This was, however, under the condition no part of the development would be occupied until the long-awaited Laurencekirk flyover on the A90 Aberdeen to Dundee road is completed.

But AB30 Developments Ltd – which has taken over the project from Barratt Homes – is now pushing for the restrictions to be altered so construction can start.

What are the plans?

The company is proposing a phased approach to build the 247 houses on a 30-acre site outside Laurencekirk.

These include 28 cottage flats, along with 60 semi-detached, 40 terraced and 119 detached houses – a quarter of which will be affordable housing.

Final layout design for the residential development, planned to be built near the Laurencekirk flyover. — Final layout design for the residential development. Image: Halliday Fraser Munro.

If given the go-ahead, the company will deliver the houses in three stages in line with the flyover progress.

The proposed revision, drafted by AB30 Development’s agents, suggest the designs for the flyover need to be submitted and approved before the 50th house in the development can be occupied.

However, no more than 100 homes can be occupied until the flyover is built.

What was the hold up and why now?

Efforts to build the residential development – which was initially led by Barratt Homes – have been ongoing since 2016.

The plans were thrown out at a meeting of the Kincardine and Mearns area committee that year, after members raised concerns this would create too much traffic in the area.

It came just a month after councillors approved a neighbouring scheme for 310 houses under the same “phased approach” conditions, proposed by AB30 Developments Ltd.

An early artist’s impression of the plans for the Laurencekirk junction. Image: Transport Scotland.

To reach a compromise, the Scottish Government approved Barratt’s plans in 2017 – but included a catch that none of the homes can be occupied until the flyover is built.

But with plans for the crossing still in limbo, Kirkwood Homes Ltd’s 310-house development never came to fruition and its planning permission has now lapsed.

In their plea to the council, AB30 Developments Ltd now states this has provided “scope for a similar level of growth to take place” prior to the road improvements.

What are locals saying?

Despite the developer’s reassurances, campaigners in Laurencekirk hit out at the proposals, stressing the “horrific” impact any new development would have.

Local florist Jill Fotheringham branded the proposals as “ridiculous” and said this would add even more pressure on the town, which is already “at a saturation point”.

Ms Fotheringham has been fighting for safety upgrades at the junction between the A90 and the A937 Montrose road for nearly 20 years – “alas without success”.

Jill Fotheringham at the A90 junction, which is often busy with heavy traffic and HGVs. Image: Dougie Nicolson.

She said: “This phased approach is just not going to work – one more new home brings another possible casualty on that road and we are already at a saturation point.

“That junction cannot cope with any more new builds in Laurencekirk – I’ve been saying it for years and they continue to build. The impact on the residents would be horrific.

“It’s absolutely disgusting that they could allow such developments to start when Aberdeenshire Council is still objecting to the flyover being built.”

The busy stretch of road is notorious for crashes and near-misses, and accounts for a huge percentage of A90 speeding offences between Stonehaven and Dundee.

After repetitive pleas for more than a decade, the Scottish Government promised £24 million for the design and construction of a flyover in 2016.

Diagram showing the layout of the proposed houses. Image: Halliday Fraser Munro.

There were hopes works could be completed by 2022, however, the project was brought to a halt after it faced several objections – including from Aberdeenshire Council.

Ms Fotheringham added: “The whole infrastructure in the town is just awful at the moment – the school is at capacity, the doctors can’t cope with the patients that are already here.

“So what makes them think that putting a whole load of new houses without improving all that is going to benefit anyone.

“I have absolutely no objections to new development, but build the flyover and fix the streets first, for God’s sake, because some of the streets are like farm tracks.”