Agenda and 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 its previous meeting of 22 April 2021, for approval. 

The Forum resolved:-

to approve the minute as a correct record.

Planning Officer – Alex Ferguson

The Forum had before it a report by the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning, on a submission of a Proposal of Application Notice by Halliday Fraser Munro on behalf of their client Faro Properties VII Ltd, for a major development for a residential development comprising conversion and erection of approximately 90 units and associated infrastructure, at the site at Quattro House, Wellington Circle Aberdeen, reference number 210225.

The report advised that the application site comprised Quattro House and its curtilage, a cluster of three adjoining single and two-storey late 20^th Century office buildings positioned on the north-eastern corner of Wellington Circle, within the Wellington Business Park. The site was approximately 1.3 hectares in size and lies immediately to the west of the A956 dual carriageway (Wellington Road). A vacant office building adjoins the site to the south, with general industrial uses to the west and the Royal Mail Altens Delivery Office on the opposite side of Wellington Circle to the south-west. The residential area of Redmoss lies to the north of the site, beyond a private access track. The site incorporated established soft landscaping and trees to some of its northern and eastern boundaries, including a tree belt along the northern boundary. A significant portion of the site to the front of the buildings comprises car parking. It was noted that the buildings had been vacant for approximately five years.

The Forum heard from Mr Alex Ferguson, Planner who addressed the Forum and provided details regarding the planning aspects of the application. 

Mr Ferguson explained that the site lies within an area zoned as B1 (Business and Industrial Land) in the adopted Aberdeen Local Development Plan 2017 (ALDP). Policy B1 seeks that land zoned for business and industrial uses, including already developed land, shall be retained for Class 4 (Business), Class 5 (General Industrial) and Class 6 (Storage and Distribution) uses and safeguarded from other conflicting development types. It also further notes that where business and industrial areas are located beside residential areas that new planning permissions will be restricted to Class 4 (Business).

Mr Ferguson also noted that Policy B1 does not make any provision for residential uses in existing or zoned business and industrial areas, therefore the proposal would be contrary to Policy B1 and would constitute a departure from the adopted development plan strategy.

In terms of consultation, Mr Ferguson advised that the applicants undertook a Public Consultation Event via an online event on the 30^th of March 2021, which provided an opportunity to join live chat sessions with the project team between 2pm and 8pm. Further information was also provided prior to and following this on a dedicated website. The proposal was advertised in the local press, with local Councillors, Community Councils and neighbouring properties, businesses and residents made aware of the event and invited to attend.

It was noted  that as part of the application, the applicant had been advised that the following information would need to accompany the formal  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.