Plans by Ashfield Land for a regional food hall that could be used by farmers and producers’ retail outlets, an 850-seat cinema and hotel with 150 bedrooms have been unanimously approved by councillors.

Together with already approved plans by Kirkwood Homes for almost 600 new homes, 150 of which will be affordable, the development represents an investment of £150m and will create thousands of jobs during construction and longer-term.

The development will be bound by the A90 trunk road to the west, the existing Blackdog Industrial Estate to the south, Blackdog Rifle Range and Blackdog beach to the east. It is also located within the Energetica Corridor running between Aberdeen and Peterhead, which offers investment and growth opportunities for engineering and technology organisations.

Destined to transform Blackdog into a high quality lifestyle, leisure and ultimately global business location, the development will also include offices, industrial accommodation, a supermarket, petrol station, shops and other leisure outlets as well as a park and ride facility.

The non-housing element of the project was recommended for approval by Aberdeenshire Council planners subject to conditions including reaching an agreement to cover the provision and maintenance of a Traveller transit site.

In a report to councillors last week, Stephen Archer, director of infrastructure services, said: “The proposal involves establishing the principle of creating a new, large scale, commercial development at Blackdog within part of a site identified for a mixed use development in the Aberdeenshire Local Development Plan.

“The proposal is part of a much wider mixed use scheme also involving the erection of housing and proposed alterations to the approved AWPR junction at Blackdog.

“The proposals include a leisure use and food and drink provision, and careful consideration of these elements has been taken.

“Information relating to the cinema and potential impact has been submitted and it is accepted the leisure use in terms of impact on other cinema locations is low.

“Conditions restricting the size of the cinema and floor space for the food and drink elements of the development are proposed.”

The developers plan to submit detailed design proposals in the coming months with construction work expected to start later this year.