A MASSIVE HOUSING and commercial development being planned on the outskirts of Elgin is to be considered by Moray Councillors next week.
The draft masterplan for the development of a 112 hectare site at Findrassie will, if approved, then be presented for public scrutiny.
In what will be a major expansion of the Elgin boundary the development will extend from the Lossiemouth Road to the east to Duffus Road in the west – and will create two new gateways into Elgin from the north.
Around 1500 new homes would be built as well as land being allocated for business use in a masterplan that has been prepared by the Pitgaveny Estate, who own the land, in partnership with the Moray Council.
The masterplan is a prerequisite for the submission of any planning application and is a requirement of new Local Development Plan to ensure that a high quality of design is achieved on the ground “in a coherent and consistent manner”. The scheme will include provision of infrastructure for education, community facilities and transportation.
Moray Council’s Planning and Regulatory Services Committee will be given sight of the plan ahead of their meeting on Tuesday – if approved a consultation exercise will be held in April on the initial design concept for Findrassie.
If approved the project is expected to take around 20 years to complete with planning advisor to the surveyors Savills-Smith Gore, Donald Lunan, saying a great deal was learned from the public workshops held in Elgin earlier this year: “People acknowledged what was good about the plans and told us what they were not going to accept.
“We took these ideas away and incorporated them into our masterplan. This proposal has had remarkably good endorsement, there is almost certainly going to be a new school and community facilities – we wish to create a complete neighbourhood.
“This is as big as when Elgin incorporated New Elgin – it is very significant for the town.”