Preparations are under way to make further repairs to potholes in the North Kincardine ward.

Reassurances were given by senior council Roads Service officers at today’s Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee that staff are “cracking on” with getting our roads back up to an acceptable standard. For example, the annual surface dressing programme will begin in May.

Councillors were presented with a high-level report on the works programme for roads, bridges, cycling, walking, roads safety, flooding, landscaping and harbours.

Normally this is a detailed report setting out which roads are to be repaired. However, councillors heard that the programmes for roads is still under development and will be presented to the area committee in June.

That prompted my questions about whether this would cause further delay with three months being lost … however I was assured by Roads and Landscape Service area manager Derek Murray that this was not the case. Officers are working on the list approved last year by the area committee which covered two years’ projects. He said that nothing will be delayed.

This year the budget for roads resurfacing and surface dressing in Aberdeenshire is £15,566,000, compared to the average of £11,530,000 over the past five years, excluding 2020-21. Kincardine and Mearns area shares that budget proportionately.

Mr Murray cited some of the challenges facing the council, in common with other local authorities. They are faced with labour shortages and market pressures such as prices of fuel and bitumen where there have been massive increases.

I specifically asked about Old Mill Road and Cairnhill Road in Newtonhill.

Principal roads engineer Ewan Smith said that Old Mill Road resurfacing scheme was deferred from 2021-22 due to Scottish Water major mains renewal in the last six months at an adjacent location, however the project will be carried over and site works are now planned for 2022-23. Mr Smith said it is “high up on our radar and will be done sooner than later” and will be carried out by a contractor.

Regarding the entrance to Cairnhill Road, this will be given due attention under the reactive programme (i.e. temporary repairs) until house construction work nearby is completed.

We were also told that anti-skid surfacing will be renewed shortly on the zebra crossings in Newtonhill.

I also welcomed the allocation of £12,000 for feasibility and initial design work for a path from Newtonhill to Cammachmore via the existing A92 underpass. This is to be taken forward under a new project team headed by Gavin Penman. The first step by the local authority, taking forward initial work by Newtonhill, Muchalls and Cammachmore Community Council.

The report also referenced land acquisition for phase one of a Portlethen to Marywell link, which will connect to Aberdeen City Council’s plans. At this stage the city does not have a preferred route and Aberdeenshire’s proposals allow for connecting to either of the two options being considered by the city. It will be a multi-year project with construction in 2023/24.

Councillors also heard that the Roads Service is appointing staff to engage directly with the public as well as community councillors and councillors. This will allow technical staff to focus more on their specialist roles rather than answering questions.

My Stonehaven colleague Sarah Dickinson asked questions about concerns the public can have about the use of contractors for roads maintenance work. She writes: “I asked about this as the report is clear that there is a mix of the two used. I was advised that in-house teams will always be used first, but given the scale of works and the need to deliver these in a timely manner, working with contractors as well is necessary.

“Teams are significantly understaffed despite efforts to address this and recruit. Operational changes have been and are being made to try and help with a new contracts team taking on that side of the work and a communications team being put in place to improve response times to both councillors and communities.”

The Landscape Services report included an allocation of £10,000 on a new gravel footpath in Elsick Park, Newtonhill. That’s the wee park at the north end of Old Mill Road overlooking the valley of the Elsick Burn. The service has been working with Newtonhill Environment Action Team (NEAT) on this.

The presentations and discussion lasted for more than two hours with questions being asked by most councillors, including my ward colleagues Alison Evison and Colin Pike. You can watch the meeting live- and read the reports – by going to the council website: https://committees.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/committees.aspx?commid=8&meetid=19928