Newhills :  Development Framework

The Newhills Expansion Area is a major urban expansion area on the western edge of Aberdeen City. It is one of the most significant expansion areas for Aberdeen in the next 20 years. Strategically, the Newhills area will form a new western boundary to the city and benefits from excellent connections via the AWPR and the A96(T) both into the city and outward to the surrounding area. The Local Plan identifies the area for 4,440 homes, supporting mixed-use, two primary schools, a secondary school, new Health Centre and dental surgery.

As one of a series of masterplan zones that have been identified by Aberdeen City Council (ACC), OPEN led the design of an over-arching Newhills Expansion Area Development Framework which co-ordinated the three separate Opportunity Sites to ensure that the overall area was considered as a whole. The Framework was adopted by ACC in early 2015 and provides a structure for future masterplan(s) and application(s) for Planning Permission in Principle.
The Newhills Expansion Area is envisioned to be a distinctive and sustainable new extension to Aberdeen City which offers a choice of neighbourhoods within easy reach of the existing centre and significant employment areas. Designed as a residentially driven urban extension on the edge of the city, it will accommodate a range of housing types and tenures and include supporting uses for use by the new local population. Taking cues from the varying existing qualities of the site ensures a number of characterful places can grow organically to become viable, sustainable and well-connected communities, which are highly attractive.

OPEN progressed further detailed proposals for the three masterplan zones which comprise the expansion area: Craibstone Estate, Rowett South and Greenferns Landward.

OS Mapping © Crown copyright, Aberdeen City Council 100023401 (2012). Aerial imagery © Google 2012