Jointly submitted by Pitgaveny and Robertson Homes, the Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) represents the first phase of an ambitious masterplan to develop 112 hectares of greenbelt land between Lossiemouth Road and Duffus Road.

With an anticipated development period of 25 years, Findrassie is expected to feature 1,500 houses, community facilities, a primary school and a twelve hectare business park within several distinct phases.

The first planning application is likely to be for around 300 houses, 75 of which will be built as affordable homes. Future plans include a local hub comprising a farm shop, a café and offices, with cycle paths and woodland surrounding a residential park and amphitheatre.

Findrassie was the largest comprehensive multiple-use site in last year’s Moray Local Development Plan, having been identified as long-term development land by the council almost a decade ago. Pitgaveny engaged Savills to begin work on a masterplan in 2011, which has been formed in full consultation with Moray Council and praised by the council’s independent assessors, Architecture and Design Scotland.

Pitgaveny are delighted to have appointed Robertson Homes as their preferred developer, as co-owner Rebecca Russell explained: “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 managing director, John Murphy, is enthusiastic about these proposals: “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.”

Debbie Mackay of Savills also played a key part in coordinating the complexities of the masterplan, describing the Proposal of Application Notice as “the culmination of many years of careful, co-operative planning. Pitgaveny and all of the design team have high aspirations for this development”.