Plans for a new garden centre on the outskirts of Aberdeen have been conditionally approved by the city council's planning committee.

The Ben Reid and Company nursery, shop and car park is to be created on two overgrown fields on the outskirts of Aberdeen. The development is to be built on Green Belt land.

The plans to support the horticultural business, which are now to be forwarded to the Scottish Ministers, are for the erection of a building incorporating a shop and two small offices, and an associated service yard and storage area; a car park with 29 spaces; and an outdoor nursery sales area for the sale of plants and gardening accessories.

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The scale of the operation is similar to that currently operated by the firm at Countesswells, where most of the 180-year-old firm's horticultural land is allocated for residential development in the adopted Local Plan.

Planning convener Scott Cassie said: "This is an appropriate development in the Green Belt. While it is a departure from the development plan, the retail unit is a small part of the whole horticultural business and I think it will benefit that side of the city.

"It will very much improve the existing site and the fact that Ben Reid, a long established Aberdeen business, is able to continue to trade, is also to be welcomed."

The site of the new development is on the south side of the A944 Aberdeen to Alford Road, to the south-east of Kingswells.

(GK/JM)