A positive meeting of the Chapelton liaison committee last night. There are now 21 families in the new community. Here are some snippets:

– The initial tenders for a community bus have proved to be not commercially viable. Further solutions are being sought.

– The car park at the park and ride beside the Newtonhill flyover should be ready around the end of June.

– A community woodland is to be established between the flyover and Chapelton (south of the access road). The first planting should take place on 26 July. One option is that in the future the area could also host a cemetery, which has to be provided in the development after 4000 houses.

– When the employment land to the west of the A90 is developed it may be cut into to the land to give a lower profile.

– An extension to Portlethen medical centre – including more parking places – should be completed by this time next year. The number of health visitors at the surgery has already been increased. Chapelton is in the surgery’s catchment area.

– Chapelton is looking forward to working “hand in hand” with the council’s design team over the first primary school in the new community. It will be the first public building there.

– There is a greater interest in purchasing smaller houses as the community developments. Hume Square should be finished later this summer.

– The developers are working with Scottish Water over the repeated burst mains pipes in Newtonhill Road, Newtonhill. The committee heard that the monitoring has been installed. It may be that the pipes in Newtonhill – thought to be asbestos – may be at the end of their life. Elsick House is now available for corporate and wedding occasions (10 bedrooms and a function room).