Plans for housing to fund therapy centre

Councillors have narrowly backed plans for 10 new houses near Banff.

Members of the Banff and Buchan area committee voted five to four in favour of the development at Blackhill of Culbirnie.

Planning officers had urged members to reject the proposal on grounds it did not comply with rural development regulations but councillors have shown support if specific conditions are met.

Developer ReNutherapy plans to sell off the proposed properties once they

“There’s light at end of tunnel as the meeting went well”

are built in a bid to raise money to construct a hydrotherapy centre nearby.

The application will now go to the infrastructure services committee for a final decision but agent Douglas Shand, of Shand Building Design Limited, said: “It’s good to see the plans taking a step closer.

“It has been a long process but there’s now light at the end of the tunnel as the meeting went well.”

Re-Nutherapy had unveiled the blueprint for the hydrotherapy centre earlier this year, which was approved earlier this year.

The facility includes a hydro pool, gym and an education centre at Hilton Park Farm, near Banff. An Aberdeen pensioner has raised fears about pests after his garden bin has been repeatedly missed for emptying – despite paying the £30 fee.

James Ellis, who uses a stick and carries an alarm in case he falls, put his bin out on Duthie Terrace two weeks ago but it has still not been emptied.

The 90-year-old is now worried the discarded food waste in the bin could attract rodents, as he has already had problems with flies and wasps.