A controversial plan to build hundreds of homes as well as a supermarket and petrol station in Stonehaven has been withdrawn.
Stewart Milne Homes has pulled out of proposals to build 400 properties, a supermarket, petrol station and community facilities on the outskirts of Stonehaven.
An 84-acre site north of the town, at the Mains of Cowie, had been earmarked for the scheme.
The decision to pull out of the plan which it was estimated would bring £7.6 million into the economy comes less than a month after a decision was made by area committee councillors to reject the proposals.
A Stewart Milne Homes spokeswoman said: “Following the outcome of the Kincardine and Mearns area committee meeting, and in view of some responses to the consultation process still out-standing, we are withdrawing this application for the time being.”
The developer said the scheme would have created 177 construction jobs and 180 retail posts and generated an average annual spend of £7.36m in Stonehaven.
It would also have included space for a primary school, community facilities and parkland.
But the application was not included in the area’s local development plan and planning bosses recommended the application for refusal.
Resident David Fleming, who is a trustee with Stonehaven Town Partnership, welcomed the idea of having a supermarket in the town but disagreed with the proposals for more new homes.
He said: “Once the Chapelton development was approved, there was no need for any more homes in the Stonehaven area.”
Scores of residents raised their concerns about the plans during a heated pre-determination meeting in April.
Objectors claimed the mass of new homes could hamper the work done so far to protect the town from future flooding, while also stretching schools and facilities to the maximum.