Tonight’s Portlethen community council covered a lot of topics including:
– Police Scotland are increasing patrols in the town in response to damage to property, a constable told the meeting. This follows a further £800 damage at Portlethen Primary School. Aberdeenshire Council is to be asked to improve lighting and CCTV coverage.
– The officer assured the meeting that the recent youth incident in Newtonhill, which resulted in one person being taken to hospital and seven arrests, is unrelated to the youth incidents in Inverurie.
– The meeting was also told that the police are aware of confrontations over access to the graveyard from the track to the east of the church. The access has been closed for some considerable time while building works have been carried out at the adjoining property.
– The community council will in principle donate £1000 to equipment for a pensioners’ playground at Burnside Park. Community councillor Paul Melling is driving this forward, and will now seek other sources of funds. They total cost would be more than £13,000.
– A grant of £500 is being given again this year to help youngsters settle in to their first year at Portlethen Academy.
– The Clochandighter community magazine will be arriving shortly from the printers, all 4200 copies, to be distributed by volunteers.
– Concerns were expressed that £662,000 in developer contributions from Stewart Milne may be lost if progress is not made with the provision of a park-and-ride to the north-west of the Findon interchange on the A90.
– Stall space for the gala on 19 August is at a premium. Could Nicol Park host the gala in future instead of the academy grounds? That was the question posed by one community councillor … but would it be suitable?
Many other issues were discussed, including new constitutions for community councils. Members of the public are welcome to attend – there were two present along with three Aberdeenshire councillors and a council officer from community learning. The next meeting is on 27 June.