Aberdeenshire Council planners have given their backing to the Springfield Properties development, which is located on an agricultural site at Meadowbank Road on the northern boundary of the town.

Under the plans, the 169 bungalows, semi-detached and terraced houses and 62 flats will all be classed as “affordable”.

If granted approval by councillors, the 30-acre site will be transformed into a new community.

According to the Press & Journal, objectors have accused developers of using the affordable homes tag to push through an unnecessary number of properties.

The council has a target of building 400 affordable homes in Aberdeenshire every year but fewer than 370 have been delivered in total since 2012.

However the local authority said it may not be commercially “viable” to have all 231 properties classed as affordable, and instead asked for a commitment of only 25%. The remainder would be left to Springfield’s discretion.

Objections have been raised in the local community about pressure on local medical services and increased traffic on the roads. As part of the project Springfield will contribute to an expansion of the local health centre.

Questions have also been asked about whether the town’s schools can accommodate hundreds of new children. The council’s education service says there will be space in the new Turriff Primary School.

Aberdeenshire Council’s infrastructure director, Stephen Archer, has backed the development.

In a report to councillors he said: “It is considered that the proposed development complies with the relevant policies within the Aberdeenshire local development plan.

“While the application is promoted as a 100% affordable housing development, there is no policy requirement for this site to be delivered as such.”

Mr Archer recommends that members of the Formartine area committee back the scheme when they meet on Tuesday.