Month: March 2013

The updated framework for Grandhome, which sets out the vision for the new village to the north and west of the Parkway, was approved by Aberdeen City Council today, as interim planning advice.

LOCAL facilities including a health centre and community venue serving the Danestone and Bridge of Don areas of Aberdeen will be included in the early stages of the development of the new settlement at Grandhome, in response to appeals from residents. One of the Government’s Scottish Sustainable Communities Initiative, Grandhome aims to set new standards for development in Scotland and will deliver vital new facilities and homes in the area over the next 25 years. The masterplan has been worked on since 2008 and continues to be strongly influenced by community input.

During public consultations in 2012, residents wanted to understand what additional services could be provided at Grandhome to address a perceived lack of certain amenities in the surrounding area. In response, the Grandhome Trust has now adapted its plan to include a community theatre and cinema within the new town centre and a health centre complex which will serve the wider Danestone and Bridge of Don area.

Bruce Smith, trustee and spokesman for the Grandhome Trust, said: “The community played a very active part in consultations and what was clear to us was the need for a new heart within the Bridge of Don. A new community venue of the type we are proposing would provide a focus for arts and culture in the area.”

The first phase of the new village will be up to 450 homes to the south-east of the site. If planning permission is granted this year, the first homes will be ready in 2015.

Mr Smith said: “The timing for completion of the first homes aligns with the Third Don Crossing and other transport improvements, which significantly alleviates any concerns over the additional traffic.

Design modifications to better integrate the town centre with land set aside for business, which will bring new employment opportunities to the community, have also been carried out as part of the development of the final masterplan. This will include shops, offices and other facilities serving the wider community. Grandhome is a strategic development within the Aberdeen Local Development Plan, and aims to set new standards of place-making and a sense of community in the North-east.

It will deliver a wide range of local amenities for its residents including schools, doctors’ surgeries, leisure and outdoor facilities and green space, as well as workplaces – all within a ten minute walk.

Designed to provide an excellent environment and quality of life, Grandhome would feature significant green space – including parks, woodland and open space, including good connections to the Don Valley and surrounding countryside.