Developer Drumrossie Land Development Co Ltd applied for permission for the homes on land At South Road in Insch last May. The firm is working alongside Castlehill Housing Association on the project.

The development would comprise of three and four-bedroom homes and a planning statement said each one would have its own garden.

The document said: “Each property will benefit from a degree of private amenity space, as well as access to a large area of dedicated open space immediately adjacent to the proposed properties.”

It added that the new family homes were “much-needed”.

An Aberdeenshire Council report setting out the approval for the project said it was “acceptable” because it was providing affordable housing, The Evening Express reports.

The document said: “It is considered that the application is acceptable as development of the remaining part of the allocated site in Insch for 100% affordable housing.

“The proposed layout, siting and design provides adequate open space provision and addresses concerns of visual impact with no negative effect on surrounding amenity.

“While it is appreciated that this development will result in a change to the setting of this area, as it is an allocated site with previous planning permission, the principle of siting houses on this site has been established.

“The terraced units comprising only six plots with four semi-detached units separated from this block is not considered to be overly dominant to warrant a refusal in this instance despite concerns that this footprint and scale would result in overdevelopment of the site. Views cannot be protected, and the design has been considered to address massing concerns and reduce the visual impact.”