The briefs set out the design standards for future development of the sites and developers will be expected to reflect these standards in any proposals they bring forward.

Moray Council’s planning and regulatory services committee was told that this design-led approach to planning would help to ensure high quality development which identified with the settlement in which each of the sites is located.

The sites are at Clarkly Hill, on the outskirts of Burghead; Manse Road in Hopeman, Braes of Allachie at Aberlour, West Pilmuir Road in Forres and Hamilton Drive in Elgin.

The Hamilton Drive site is owned by the council while the others are in private ownership.

The committee also approved a draft masterplan for land owned by Altyre Estate at Dallas Dhu on the edge of Forres.

The site extends to 22 hectares and has an indicative capacity for 150 houses.

A report to committee said: “The masterplan adopts a landscape-led approach and aims to achieve a successful transition from urban to rural character, creating a high quality new edge to the settlement.

“The site has unique characteristics since much of the site cannot be built on as it operates as flood storage for the Chapelton dam as part of the Forres (Burn of Mosset) flood alleviation scheme.

“Almost half of the site will remain undeveloped with many of the open spaces remaining in a natural state.”

The draft masterplan will go out to public consultation for eight weeks.