A band of north-east residents has formed a local conservation group in an effort to protect the character of their picturesque fishing village.
The Port Erroll Heritage Group, founded this week, will campaign to keep the 19th century village’s conservation area status which is under review.
Aberdeenshire Council is currently surveying residents in the Buchan village about whether the conservation area should be scrapped.
Last night Jill McWilliam, the newly appointed chairwoman of the group, said: “The residents of Port Errol are immensely proud of their village and the possibility that our conservation area status could be removed has come as a shock to us all.
“Our new group are willing to work together with Aberdeenshire Council to see what can be done to address their specific concerns.”
In a designated conservation zone, stricter planning rules are enforced to preserve the architectural character of an area. Most works to the outside of a building – such as installing a satellite dish, building a small extension or creating a parking space – would require permission.
Mrs McWilliam added: “Hopefully we can all move forward together in celebration of a very special corner of Aberdeenshire’s unique coastal heritage, a place that captures the imagination of all who visit it.”
Last night the local authority’s head of planning and building standards, Robert Gray, said: “It is a legal requirement that the council carry out regular appraisals of Aberdeenshire’s conservation areas to define special features in them and support the management of them.
“The public consultation in Port Erroll is open for another two weeks and I encourage anyone interested to submit their comments before Wednesday, November 18.”