Agenda and draft minutes

The agenda and reports associated with this minute can be found here.

Please note that if any changes are made to this minute at the point of approval, these will be outlined in the subsequent minute and this document will not be retrospectively altered.

The Forum had before it the procedure note and guidance for members on the operation of Forum meetings.

The Forum resolved:-

to note the procedure note and guidance for members.

The Forum had before it the minute of the previous meeting of 7 November 2024,  for approval.

The Forum resolved:-

to approve the minute as a correct record.

The Forum had before it a report by the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning, on the submission of a Proposal of Application by Ryden LLP on behalf of CALA Management Ltd for the proposed major residential development with associated open space, landscaping, infrastructure including link road and engineering works, at land At Inchgarth Road, Cults, Aberdeen, planning reference number 250723.

The report advised that in terms of the site description, the site subject to this proposal comprised an area of 10.6 hectares within the green belt and the Pitfodels Conservation Area, broadly separating the established residential areas of Garthdee and Cults. The site was on the northern side of the Lower Deeside Dee valley and slopes from north to south towards the River Dee, which was located approximately 500m to the south. It was bisected by the Deeside Old Railway Local Nature Conservation Site (LNCS) and the Deeside Way (Core Path Number 66). The defined boundary of the River Dee Special Area of Conservation was at its closest approximately 300m to the southeast. The River Dee Corridor LNCS was approximately 130m to the south. North Deeside Road (A93) and Inchgarth Road bound the northern and southern extremities of the site respectively. The residential curtilage of low-density detached dwellinghouses within large residential plots bound the site to the west and east. The site mainly consists of former fields that have largely become self-seeded with plants and woodland and is primarily identified as open space in the Open Space Audit 2024. The site included a significant proportion of the green belt in this part of Aberdeen City.

The open space within the site was also included in the Aberdeen Local Development Plan 2023 as Green Space Network, primarily as undeveloped natural / semi-natural open space of open ground and woodland. There were several informal recreational paths within the open spaces and historic granite boundary walls. An overhead power line crosses the site from the north to the south and a pylon is located at the edge of the site near the Deeside Way.

There were mature trees throughout the site visible from a range of public areas within and around the site. All trees on the site were protected by Tree Preservation Orders (TPO) 8, 21 and 237. An area to the south of the site was included within the Ancient Woodland Inventory. The nearest listed buildings are the category C listed (former) Pitfodels Station Building, which was approximately 20m outside of the application boundary on the northern side of the Deeside Way. The boundary walls of the category C listed Inchgarth House bound the site to the south, on the opposite side of Inchgarth Road.

The application site was located within the Pitfodels Conservation Area and there were several historic assets within the site boundary.  The Pitfodels Castle Motte was approximately 300 m to the south-east.

In terms of the proposal, it was noted that the proposed development comprised a major residential development with associated open space, landscaping and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.