A £115m golf and housing development to include a course designed by former Open champion Paul Lawrie took a step forward yesterday.

The Muir Group development, on green-belt land and centred on the former Catholic Seminary at Blairs, near Aberdeen, was approved unanimously by the same committee of Aberdeenshire Council which, in November, rejected Donald Trump's £1bn golf and housing project at Balmedie.

The Trump application was rejected by the casting vote of the chairman of the infrastructure services committee and called in by the Scottish Government which referred it to the Reporter to conduct a public local inquiry.

Under the proposal the listed Blair's seminary would undergo a £30m transformation into a hotel, conference and leisure centre. Alongside would be the Paul Lawrie course and sporting facilities.

Up to 280 houses, including 60 affordable homes, would be built.

The development would also safeguard the long-term future of Blairs Museum, which for almost two centuries has housed a collection of memorabilia belonging to the Scottish Catholic Church.

The Kincardine and Mearns area committee approved the application last month. Yesterday, Wendy Agnew, councillor for Stonehaven and Lower Deeside, said: "It is an exceptional historic building on an exceptional scale and of unrivalled architectural and historical importance."

Councillors expressed concern about the impact on traffic. Discussions on that issue will now take place.

The application will go to full council in April and, because it is a departure from the development plan, will have to be approved by the Scottish Government.

Muir Group said it was confident the traffic problems were not insurmountable and would work with the council.

The decision was welcomed by the leader of the Catholic Church in Scotland, Cardinal Keith O'Brien, who said: "Blairs has always held a very soft spot in my heart and the heart of many of the Christian community of Scotland - I was rector when it was a national college for training young men for priesthood between 1980 and 1985.

"It is extremely sad to see the magnificent buildings in a state of progressive decay. I and my brother bishops are more than delighted at the prospect of restoration."