Controversial plans for Broad Hill Aberdeen city flats withdrawn hours before committee

Controversial plans to build 47 flats next to Aberdeen’s Broad Hill have been withdrawn just hours before they were due to be scrutinised by councillors.

The contentious application was due to go before Aberdeen City Council’s planning committee on Thursday.

But, faced with a huge backlash, applicant Alexander Bonner snatched back the plans the day before the meeting.

The proposal was still on the committee agenda.

But as members sat down to discuss it, convener Dell Henrickson told them the item would no longer be discussed.

Developers had hoped to build a mix of one and two-bedroom flats over five and seven storeys on ground directly behind the Ocean Apartments.

The site is currently used as a depot by light haulage firm Paterson’s.

The application being withdrawn may come as a relief for residents who raised major concerns about the project.

Before the meeting 134 people wrote to the council opposing it.

They raised concerns about road safety, overdevelopment, disturbance to existing residents and the impact on wildlife around Broad Hill.

Ben Sim said: “The proposed development will not only impact residents of the area but will impact and overshadow the Broad Hill itself, a publicly accessible viewpoint.

“Countless residents will be affected.”

Alistair Black said the site should be turned into a “green area” or a “green play area” for residents and claimed the new flats would be a “residential jungle”.

Ocean Apartments resident Paul Mcavinue added: “This will create a blot on the landscape.”

Objections were also received from Aberdeen City Council’s roads and waste teams.

The roads team said they had “serious reservations” over the single road access and noted there was a “large shortfall” in parking.

Meanwhile the waste and recycling team said its collection vehicles would not be able to turn in the site safely.

Planning chiefs had recommended the scheme be refused.

Officers said the building “has the appearance of being shoehorned into what is a constrained site”.