HOOD COMMENTS ON KINTORE PLANNING CONCERNS

The SNP Council Group has said that future large-scale housing developments in East Garioch need to come with plans for the appropriate infrastructure in place.

They were commenting after Aberdeenshire Council announced that its planning service will not be able to support any new planning applications for residential development in the catchment area of Kintore Primary School for the foreseeable future as a result of capacity at the school, only completed in 2007, having been reached due to recent housing developments.

They said:

"The very popular new housing developments in Kintore have led to the school reaching its capacity far earlier than had been anticipated. We know that the staff and pupils are achieving high standards.

"The new relocatable classrooms that were added last year with the proposals for additional classrooms this year will help to ease the pressure for places at the school. The decision to limit housing development to approved applications will allow for a period of consolidation.

"Future development in Kintore will be discussed by Councillors at public meetings on 30 and 31 March to consider the sites in the Main Issues Report.

"However, this underlines the need for new development to come with the appropriate infrastructure in place. Developers cannot simply be allowed to erect acres of new houses for a quick profit and let the council tax-payer pick up the tab for the services which will be needed to support it."