The planning application – which is not yet a full application – has come from Mr and Mrs Charles Lawson, Muirhead House, Muir of Fowlis, near Alford (through agent Mantell Ritchie, High Street, Banff) and it came before members of Aberdeenshire Council's Marr Area Committee, meeting at Tullynessle.

The Committee backed the recommendation of their planning service and agreed to delegate final approval of the plans to the head of development management and building standards, subject to a dozen conditions.

Objections to the plans included concerns about vehicle access; the proposed small plot sizes being contrary to the character of the development of Muir of Fowlis village; flood risk; and the area having no capacity for water supplies, or drainage facilities.

However, the planning service report said that the site was allocated for residential development in Council plans and the points raised by objectors had been addressed during the consultation process.

At last week's meeting, Councillors were told that concerns about a potential flood risk had been looked at by the Council's Flood Prevention Unit. They had not called for an assessment, as the flood plain was in an area to the north of the proposed site but had indicated that any move to build new houses in that area would bring a recommendation of refusal. Councillor Richard Stroud said that he had some questions about the size of the plots concerned but suggested that some improvements in the site layout might be achieved, as the application moved through the planning process.

However, the committee refused another application, for the erection of an agricultural building at Muir of Fowlis. This development, at Newton of Carnaveron, came from the F.J. Keir company (through agent Colin Thompson, Old Chapel Road, Inverurie).

Committee members were reminded that they had deferred a decision on this application last November, to allow for further talks between the applicant and the planning service, regarding possible alternative sites. Following those talks, the planners recommended refusal of the current proposal, on the grounds that the building would be sited away from the existing farm and associated buildings and would be highly visible, on an elevated piece of land.

Planning officer Mairi Stewart said that the applicant could come back with a fresh proposal, for a lower level site – but that would require a new application.

Councillor Richard Stroud said that the proposal required further consideration and a new location was needed that was less prominent. The committee agreed to refuse the present application and advise the applicant to come back with a new proposal for a less prominent site.