Councillors this morning approved the application for affordable housing on the 1.9 hectare site at Stynie Road, currently used as agricultural land.

Consent granted previously for the site approved the provision of 15 affordable units, however this has now doubled to 30 affordable homes in the first phase alone.

A total of 76 houses will be built by Springfield Properties across the entire site over three phases. Phase one – approved today – sees 30 Moray Council properties built, comprised of four semi-detached two-bedroom houses, eight terraced two-bedroom houses, eight terraced one-bedroom flats, with the remainder a mix of three and four-bedroom semi-detached houses.

The development has been designed around a large central area of open space. The site will be landscaped, featuring a mix of trees including crab apple, cherry, rowan, lime and birch, with beech hedges and shrub beds and borders.

A 360m cycle path will be built, as well as footways and pedestrian crossings. To satisfy developer obligation regulations, Springfield Properties will contribute towards a replacement medical centre in nearby Fochabers.

Chair of Moray Council’s planning & regulatory services committee, Cllr David Bremner, said he was pleased to see the increase in affordable homes being built in Mosstodloch.

He added: “It’s very welcome to see these affordable homes being built locally. With more than 3,500 applicants on our waiting list for housing, we’re making good progress against our target of providing 70 units of high-quality accommodation each year for our residents.”