March 1 2007

Devanha Ltd, a partnership of North-east housing associations, has submitted a planning application for an environmentally-friendly urban village on the site of the former Donside Paper Mill, in the Tillydrone area of Aberdeen.

The 320-home village is the largest affordable housing development ever seen in North East Scotland. Purchased with support from Communities Scotland, the Donside Urban Village development is to be carried out on behalf of four housing associations within Devanha - Tenants First Housing Co-operative, Aberdeenshire Housing Partnership and Grampian and Langstane housing associations.

The Donside Urban Village will be a mixed tenure development providing affordable homes along with some for private purchase. To ensure that the village has a life of its own, the plans drawn up by Halliday Fraser Munro include some office space and business start up units, along with provision for neighbourhood shops.
Combining flats with two, three and four-bedroom family homes and gardens, the Donside Urban Village has been designed 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.

Most of the existing mature trees on the site will be retained. A new riverside walkway will connect with the existing paths around Seaton Park and link with the national cycle network. A bistro adjoining this new walkway and cycleway is included in the plans.

A proposed hydro-electric plant on the old mill lade would produce around twice the electricity needed for the village. The homes will also feature solar water heating along with particularly high levels of insulation. The construction materials have been chosen for their low energy usage.The streets within Donside Urban Village will be designated as "homezones".

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