Agenda and minutes

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 20 August 2020, 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 a submission of a Proposal of Application Notice by JLL (Glasgow) on behalf of their client Aberdeen City Council, for a major residential development of approximately 105 units, associated streets, parking and external amenity at the land of the former Craighill Primary School, Hetherwick Road Aberdeen, 200850.

The report advised that the site was previously occupied by Craighill Primary School in Kincorth and was a brownfield site.  All buildings had been removed from the site, and it was now vacant. It had an irregular shape and extended to 1.61 hectares. The site was bounded by Hetherwick Road to the north, Gardner Road to the east and south, and Gardner Drive to the west.  A block of three storey flats was located immediately to the south west, with a single bungalow set in the school grounds along the southern boundary. There was a cluster of mature trees in the south east corner.  The western half of the site, excluding the area of playing fields to the east, was allocated as Opportunity Site 57 in the 2017 Aberdeen Local Development Plan for residential use and this allocation was proposed to be the same in the 2020 Proposed Aberdeen Local Development Plan. The remainder of the site was shown as residential zoning.

The report also explained that full details of the proposals were still being prepared, although an indicative site layout showed a total of 99 units, split into 15 terraced houses and 74 flats. The flatted blocks would be 3 and 4 storeys in height, with the terraced properties being 2 storeys. Vehicular access would be taken from Gardner Road to the south and Hetherwick Road to the north, with additional pedestrian entrances into the site from Gardner Drive to the west. The proposals include a walled garden with community orchard, external amenity areas serving the flats and parking courts.

The Forum heard from Dineke Brasier, Senior Planner who addressed the Forum and provided details regarding the planning aspects of the application. 

Ms Brasier explained that as part of the application, the applicant had been advised that the following information would need to accompany the formal submission:-

• Pre Application Consultation Report;
• Design and Access Statement, including visualisations;
• Planning Statement;
• Transport Assessment/ transport Statement;
• Travel plan
• Drainage Impact Assessment
• Tree Survey and Arboricultural Impact Assessment;
• Landscape Strategy

The Forum then heard from the applicant/agent and the presenters were as follows:-

• Mark Thompson – JM Architects
• Henry McKeown – JM Architects
• Andrew Low – Faithful and Gould
• Ewan Scott – Ramsay and Chalmers
• Colin Doig – Aberdeen City Council

Mr Thompson began the presentation and advised that they aimed to make the development a pedestrian focused neighbourhood with placemaking at the heart of their ideas and vision.  There would be apartment blocks with courtyard space for amenity, community led amenity space, an orchard within the walled garden and the existing tree cluster would remain.

Mr Thompson explained there  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

The Forum had before it a report by the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning, on a submission of a Proposal of Application Notice by Atkins Architects, on behalf of their client Aberdeen City Council, for a major residential development for approximately 213 units comprising a mix of unit types, associated streets, parking and amenity spaces, at the former Kincorth Academy site Aberdeen, 200989.

The report advised that the site was previously occupied by Kincorth Academy and associated playing fields, and all buildings had been removed to leave a vacant site.  The site had an irregular shape extending to 3.9 hectares and was bound by Deevale Gardens, Kincorth Circle and Kincorth playing fields to the north, with existing three storey flats fronting onto Auldearn Place to the east.  Cairngorm Drive had predominantly two storey terraced houses to the south; and three storey flats facing out on Cairnvale Terrace to the west. Mature trees were located along the north and parts of the southern boundary, and a high mature hedge along the western boundary and part of the southern boundary. There was a distinct change in levels between the eastern part of the site, which used to house the school buildings, and the western half of the site, where the playing fields were, with the latter set at a significantly higher level.  The entire site, including the playing fields to the west, was allocated as an opportunity site – OP105 in the 2017 Aberdeen Local Development Plan and it was proposed that this allocation be repeated in the 2020 Proposed Local Development Plan.

The report explained that the proposed application was for a major residential development of approximately 215 residential units, associated streets, parking and amenity spaces.  An indicative site layout submitted as part of the Proposal of Application Notice showed a layout with a total of 213 units, as 27 houses and 186 flats. The flatted blocks would generally be two and three storeys in height, and would predominantly be located in the west, south and east parts of the site, with the terraced properties located along the north boundary. Vehicular access would be taken from Kincorth Circle and Deevale Gardens to the north, Cairnvale Terrace to the west and Cairngorm Drive to the south. A central linear open space through the site would run in a north-south direction, roughly where the existing banked change in levels was.

The Forum heard from Dineke Brasier, Senior Planner who addressed the Forum and provided details regarding the planning aspects of the application. 

Ms Brasier explained that as part of the application, the applicant had been advised that the following information would need to accompany the formal submission:-

• Pre-Application Consultation Report;
• Design and Access Statement including visualisations;
• Planning Statement;
• Transport Assessment;
• Travel Plan;
• Drainage Impact Assessment;
• Tree Survey and Arboricultural Impact Assessment;
• Landscape Strategy;
• Land Contamination Assessment

The Forum then heard from the applicant/agent and the presenters were as follows:-

• Ricky Connell – Atkins Architect
• Stephen McGarrity – Atkins Architect
• Colin Doig –  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.