A decision by councillors to turn down an application to build 142 homes in Stonehaven has been appealed to the Scottish Government.

Stewart Milne Homes, which had already been granted planning approval to build 109 houses on the Carron Den site, moved to reduce the size of the homes from five bedrooms to two and three due to “changes in the housing market”.

New proposals were launched to build a maximum of 155 on the site – including the 13 already built – however the application was rejected by Aberdeenshire Council’s Kincardine and Mearns area committee in September.

The committee refused the application on the grounds that a 40% increase of houses was a significant departure from the original application, traffic issues, and concerns about the new design and layout.

Now the developer hopes to overturn the decision by appealing to the government’s planning reporter.

John Low, managing director for Stewart Milne Homes North, said: “Having received very strong recommendations to approve from Aberdeenshire Council officers and with only three objections from the local community, we are hopeful of securing a positive outcome.

“This application is an adjustment to a previous consent that allows us to deliver smaller homes and affordable housing to meet the current, critical demand in Stonehaven. This will help those who are desperate to get on the property ladder and is in line with the Scottish Government’s housing policy.”