Quite a few topics of interest today at a very long Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee meeting:

• Grants were awarded to Maryculter Hall Users Committee (£600 to transfer a defibrillator to Corbie Hall); Newtonhill Village Association (£930 for a small marquee, two gazebos and four large bins for the Skateraw Fair); Maryculter Woodland Trust (£1000 towards the promotional costs of purchasing the wood from the Forestry Commission); Bettridge Centre (£1092 towards a dishwasher); and Safespace (£1000 towards the cost of resources at Portlethen Academy for the new group).
• The former toilet block in Portlethen is to be transferred to the Men’s Shed for a rent of £100 a year, for 15 years.
• Portlethen Academy acting head teacher Lorraine Scott told councillors about how pupils are doing. Results are in line with, or slightly ahead of, similar schools. She said that various initiatives are under way to improve matters. These include more succinct information being presented to children and parents, and making assertive mentoring available to pupils in S4, S5 and S6.
• The school roll at Portlethen Primary School is likely to be capped at 415, with effect from August 2015. Officers already know how many children will be starting at the school this August, and the school will be within the 415 ceiling. Siblings will still be accepted. The impact will be that out-of-zone requests will be turned down. These youngsters can be accommodated at Banchory Devenick, Fishermoss or Newtonhill. This is an interim measure until a rezoning exercise is completed and Hillside Primary school opens in August 2016. The education committee will make the final decision.

The meeting also heard that there is an ambition to expand the nursery provision at Fishermoss.

• Planning permission was granted for the erection of two houses at Stripeside, Netherley, replacing two redundant farm buildings.
• Permission was granted for change of use for an agricultural shed at Mains of Portlethen Farm for storage and distribution. An extra condition was added – that passing places be provided.
• Much time was also devoted to the latest refinement of the Aberdeenshire Local Development Plan 2016. No changes of note were made to the proposals which have already been made public. This is part of a process which will see the public invited to make comment in due course.