Stewart Milne Homes will deliver 167 houses and flats on a site between Falkland Avenue and the Aberdeen to Stonehaven railway line, all of which will be marketed as affordable housing.

The new builds will include six wheelchair accessible homes and five disabled access flats.

The site has been zoned for residential development since 2008, but concerns were raised the proposals included 10% more homes than the local development plan allowed for and that the proposed buildings would look “alien” to their surroundings.

Other public protests, headed by the Cove and Altens Community Council, resulted in 115 objections to the development, with issues raised over packed school rolls, overdevelopment and a roads network over capacity.

However, planning officers had recommended councillors back the development ahead of this week’s decision, ruling the complaints were not of “sufficient weight to warrant refusal”.

Planners noted: “There is nothing to stop a developer proposing solely affordable housing.

“Delivering an exclusively affordable housing development would contribute towards meeting identified housing needs, for which the council’s housing strategy team advises there is an unmet demand.”

Unveiling the development earlier this year, Stewart Milne Homes said it was in discussions with “several affordable housing providers” to partner on the development.