Plans for a new 1,500-home development in Elgin have been submitted to Moray Council.

The Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) was jointly submitted by Pitgaveny and Robertson Homes.

The Findrassie development is expected to take 25 years to complete and involves developing 112 hectares of greenbelt land between Lossiemouth Road and Duffus Road.

Features include 1,500 homes, community facilities, a primary school and a 12-hectare business park within several distinct phases.

The first planning application is likely to be around 300 houses, 75 of which will be built as affordable homes.

Future plans involve a local hub comprising a farm shop, a café and offices, with cycle paths and woodland surrounding a residential park and amphitheatre.

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Findrassie was identified as long-term development land by Moray Council almost a decade ago and was the largest comprehensive multiple-use site in last year's Local Development Plan.

Pitgaveny appointed Savills to begin developing a 'masterplan' in 2011, which has been created alongside the council and its independent assessors, Architecture and Design Scotland.

Pitgaveny co-owner, Rebecca Russell, said: "It is important to us to work with a local business with experience both in Moray and nationwide. We have worked with Robertson before, but Findrassie is an undertaking on a much larger scale with high expectations, and we are confident this is the right company to take the development forward."

Robertson Homes MD, John Murphy, added: "Findrassie presents us with a wonderful opportunity to create a whole neighbourhood, with a school, community facilities, business premises and shops.

"The Findrassie Master Plan is one of the most generously landscaped we have worked with, and it allows us to create a community with excellent links to the town and high-quality housing of all types and sizes."

(LM/JP)