Row brewing over BrewDog expansion plans
They've launched an attack on Aberdeenshire Council
Brewdog are blaming Aberdeenshire Council for their decision not to build a hotel, conference centre and distillery in Ellon.
The brewers claim the local authority is refusing to sell them land at market value - instead trying to charge them 60 times that.
They say they've been quoted a price of "£300,000 per acre".
The plans would've created 80 new jobs in the area had they chose to go ahead with the project.
In a blog post, the North East brewers said: "Aberdeenshire council’s main role is to supposedly serve the people of north east Scotland. Yet all they have done here is prevent us from creating 80 new local jobs and providing facilities which the Ellon community desperately need.
"We do want to make this happen, however. The implications of Aberdeenshire Council’s decision to put their own interests over those of the people they supposedly serve will mean that regrettably we will now look to construct the distillery, hotel and restaurant somewhere else.
"We will look for land in a Council area with a pro-business approach, rather than anti-investment and anti-job creation we find locally.
"We believe that given the climate in the North East of Scotland with many people losing their jobs, Aberdeenshire Council should be doing all they can to encourage employment and investment, not actively preventing it.
"Boo Aberdeenshire Council."
Aberdeenshire Council say they're disappointed by the allegations made by BrewDog.
Chief Executive Jim Savege said: "We are a proactive council with a commitment to working with local businesses. We also have a responsibility to ensure best value for public money. "There are on-going protracted negotiations with BrewDog and this announcement appears to be intended to weaken the council's position. We're disappointed that the company has sought to break confidentiality during what we regarded as live and on-going discussions to achieve an agreement which is fair to both parties and which protects the interests of the local taxpayer, as well as creating opportunities for residents. "At the heart of this is issue is that the land BrewDog wants has been already earmarked for the expansion of the local cemetery. We cannot sell land vastly below market value - the figure BrewDog has been asked to meet is what the land is worth right now.
"Their suggested land value is more representative of agricultural value than a site which has permission for an alternative use.
"Assisting local businesses to expand is a key objective of Aberdeenshire CounciI. If Brewdog remains committed to taking forward this development, then we remain committed - as always - to do everything that reasonably can be done to help the company achieve its ambition."