A £150million retail and housing development on the outskirts of Aberdeen is expected to get its final seal of approval next week.
More than 500 homes are planned for Blackdog, along with a town centre, which will include a six-screen cinema, 150-bed hotel, shops, a regional food hall and petrol station.
The project has already won the unanimous backing of the Formartine area committee, and will go before full council next week.
Director of infrastructure services Stephen Archer has urged councillors to grant the “innovative” scheme, despite it departing the masterplan.
He added: “It illustrates a high quality development with a clear vision and concept based on the core aims of distinctive place, connection and integration and sustainable development.”
Subject to planning permission being granted, the developers plan to submit detailed design proposals in the next few months and start work on site later this year.
After the area committee backed the scheme, Steven McGarva of developer Ashfield Land said: “Our aim is to bring a high-quality regional food hall to house independent local traders – it will be more Borough Market than a large House of Bruar type.”
The housing application is being brought forward by Kirkwood Homes, and land director Allan Rae said: “We want to finalise infrastructure plans and bring the next phase of residential development forward following completion of the AWPR link road to Blackdog.”
The housing application also includes provision for a school or community uses in the south-west of the site, and woodlands.
Land will be set aside on the development for an official gypsy-travellers site and the cycle path planned from Balmedie to Aberdeen will also be incorporated into the scheme.