Plans for a new £250m community in south Aberdeenshire have been approved.

Councillors approved the plans for the sustainable community proposed land at Edzell, on the border of south Aberdeenshire and Angus.

Newesk, was given the green light by members of the Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee, and focussed on the first two phases of the project.

This included 300 residential properties, community facilities and employment land.

Newesk is the vision of Carnegie Base Services, a family firm which owns and operated the former RAF Edzell airbase and surrounding land as a major centre for business and employment. The site has operated as a commercial site since 2000 and covers more than 0300 acres of land to the west of the main A90 Aberdeen to Dundee trunk road. It is also viewed as an important business location for south Aberdeenshire, with clients in the oil field services supply chain, food and fuel industries located at the site.

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In its completion, Newesk wold cover the remaining 144 acres of land between the business base and the existing small community of Edzell Woods. It would deliver facilities including a new primary school, community hall, green space and local shops.

David Carnegie, a partner in Carnegie Base Services, said the decision was a vindication for more than a decade's hard work by his family, and the team of planning specialists and consultants who helped bring the proposals to fruition.

He added: "We are obviously very pleased by today's decision – our over-arching focus remains the long-term creation of a thriving rural community at Newesk, encompassing all six phases of development which make up the full masterplan for the land.

"Elected members showed a real understanding of the issues, and an appreciation of the work we have done to ensure that the community has had a chance to have their say on our plans and to input into the masterplan.

"Delivering Newesk will provide a tremendous boost to the local area in terms of providing much-needed facilities, employment opportunities and infrastructure improvements, including investment in local roads and other vital resources.

"Our focus now is on securing approval for the full masterplan for Newesk, as part of the ongoing development of the local plan for Aberdeenshire."

If fully developed, Newesk has the potential to deliver up to 1,000 jobs, and provide up to 1,000 high quality properties.

(JP/CD)