David Wilson Homes - Cordyce Consultation

A Proposal of Application Notice is a legal requirement for applicants of larger scale developments that are classified as “major” in the Scottish Planning System. Applicants must give appropriate notice to a local planning authority of their intention to submit a major planning application, including details of a pre-application consultation programme that must be undertaken. Housing developments are classed as major if 50 or more dwellings are proposed or if the area of the development site is equal to or greater than 2 hectares (approximately 5 acres). On Friday 24^th June 2022, a Proposal of Application Notice was submitted to Aberdeen City Council’s Planning Service for this proposed development (reference 220815/PAN).

In the first instance, a Proposal of Application Notice was submitted to Aberdeen City Council’s Planning Service, on Friday 24^th June 2022, expressing the intention of David Wilson Homes to submit a major planning application for this development. For an explanation of a Proposal of Application Notice, please see the previous question. As part of that notice, we set out arrangements for the current pre-application consultation programme, in which we are required to give the public details of the proposal and an opportunity to provide feedback. Once the consultation has ended, we will submit a Pre-Application Consultation Report in support of any future application for the development, which will summarise your feedback and explain how your feedback has influenced the proposed development.

The site would be developed by David Wilson Homes, part of Barratt and David Wilson Homes North Scotland.

The site was formerly occupied a special needs school but closed as it became surplus to requirements. It is understood that the school was effectively closed from August 2017 onwards, as no pupils had been enrolled at the school for the year ahead. Its permanent closure was approved by the Council’s Education and Children’s Services Committee in January 2018. The order to close the school came into effect in April 2018. The former school buildings were subsequently demolished by Aberdeen City Council following concerns over the safety and security of the site.

At this early stage, we are still designing the development but it is expected that a range of homes will be provided to meet different needs and demands, including affordable housing options.

The provision of affordable housing at the site shall be required to comply with affordable housing policies in the local development plan.

The scale of development is considered too small to sustain a community space or shop at the site. However, the site is close to a range of existing amenities, including shops and other premises at Dyce Shopping Centre to the southeast and along Victoria Street to the southwest, schools, community centres and parks – all within about 20-minutes walking distance.

It is envisaged that access would be taken along a route closely following the existing access road. Pedestrians could get to the site using the existing riverside path, which we proposed to extend upon by forming paths into the development.

Primary-aged children in the development would attend Dyce School. Secondary-aged children in the development would attend Dyce Academy.

The proposed development shall be surrounded by a generous area of existing open space. As part of the development, existing clusters of woodland and other trees in that open space shall be retained. Also, a proposed landscaping plan is being devised which will include measures, such as new planting and footpaths, to improve the accessibility and visual amenity of the surrounding open space.