24 April 2008

Approval granted for development of former Donside Paper Mill

[Click here for a text copy of full press release]

Donside Urban Village planning approval will lead to the transformation of former paper mill site and create hundreds of affordable homes. The site of the former Donside Paper Mill in the Tillydrone area of Aberdeen is to be transformed into a new urban village, following the granting of planning consent by Aberdeen City Council’s planning committee today.

The approval of the planning application means that the 25-acre brownfield site of the former mill – which closed in 2001 – will be turned into 278 new homes, making it the largest affordable home development ever seen in North East Scotland.

The Donside Urban Village will be developed on behalf of four social housing providers – Tenants First Housing Co-operative Aberdeenshire Housing Partnership, Grampian Housing Association and Langstane Housing Association – under the partnership umbrella of Devanha Ltd. The land for the development was purchased by Devanha with support from the Scottish Government's Housing and Regeneration directorate.

Sandy Murray, Chief Executive of Tenants First, who is leading the Donside development on behalf of the Devanha partners, explains the significance of the Council’s approval of the village.

“The Donside Urban Village is the key to Devanha’s ambitions to develop new affordable homes in Aberdeen and it is an excellent example of local social housing providers working together with government at both national and local levels.

“The village is a flagship development for the Tillydrone area of the city and we believe it will be a catalyst for further regeneration within the local community. It will make a significant contribution to providing much needed high-quality, affordable homes in the city and it will create employment through the offices, shops and business units which will be built alongside the new houses.”

The Donside Urban Village will be a mixed tenure development providing affordable homes along with a number of properties for private purchase.
Combining flats with two, three and four-bedroom family homes and gardens, the Donside Urban Village has been designed by architects firm Halliday Fraser Munro, to reflect a traditional North-east townscape, with a grid of streets connecting the main village square, the various neighbourhoods and a number of courtyards and open spaces. To ensure that the village develops a real community identity, the plans also include some office space and business start up units, along with provision for neighbourhood shops.

The construction materials chosen for the development have been selected for their low energy usage and the homes will feature solar water heating along with particularly high levels of insulation. The developers are also considering a small scale hydro-electric plant on the old mill lade, which would produce around twice the electricity needed for the village.

Most of the existing mature trees on the site will be retained. A new riverside walkway, with an adjoining bistro, will connect with the existing paths around Seaton Park and link with the national cycle network. Devanah has also submitted a separate planning application for a hotel to the west of the village, which would follow the curve of the riverbank.

The streets within Donside Urban Village will be designated as ‘homezones’. Pioneered in the Netherlands, ‘homezones’ are designed to encourage residents to take time to stop and speak with their neighbours. Cars are allowed, but the design makes drivers feel they are guests in an environment designed for people.

To encourage families to settle and make the Donside Urban Village their long-term home, the houses have been designed to be adaptable to meet the changing needs of families and individuals. Rooms will be capable of use as bedrooms, living rooms, or home offices and the homes can be modified or extended at a later date.

Further information on the development can be seen in our Pipeline Projects section.