The cost of burying a child

Perth and Kinross Council is expected to approve plans today to end charges for child burials, a move which would leave just seven councils in Scotland as the last parts of the UK where parents are asked by their local authority to pay in order to bury their child.
 
Fees have been scrapped in England and Wales, and last month it was reported in the media that East Lothian had become the first Scottish local authority to follow the example. Since 1 April 2014 Aberdeenshire Council has made no charge for stillborn or under the age of 16 children. This covers the interment fee, but not the cost of the lair.
 
There is currently financial assistance available through a Funeral Expenses Payment.  Full information is available here https://www.gov.uk/funeral-payments
 
In summary the Funeral Expenses Payment can help to pay for some of the costs of the following:
• burial fees for a particular plot
• cremation fees, including the cost of the doctor’s certificate
• travel to arrange or go to the funeral
• the cost of moving the body within the UK, if it’s being moved more than 50 miles
• death certificates or other documents
 
It can also provide support up to £700 for any other funeral expenses, such as funeral director’s fees, flowers or the coffin.
 
A Scottish Government spokesperson said a “new funeral expense” plan will be introduced next year.

Introducing entrepreneurship

Elevator is preparing for the next “Making it Happen” conference to introduce entrepreneurship to the next generation of business owners and leaders.
The trust aims to attract around 1,000 young people from across Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen to the event on 11 October at the AECC. 
 
Pupils are invited to submit a short video pitch about how they might improve their school or community. This could be through a business idea or community initiative but there will be a £1,000 prize to the winning team to help turn their idea into a reality.
 
Elevator will help any school that expresses an interest by running a workshop to suggest ways of identifying ideas, researching the need and presenting the pitch. Full details and frequently asked questions can be found at http://www.elevatoruk.com/pitch2018/

Pitch and houses in the spotlight

Two issues dominated tonight’s Portlethen community council meeting – the replacement synthetic pitch at the academy and proposals to build thousands of houses around the town.
The meeting heard that the petition about the 2G pitch at the academy will be heard by the Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee – 12 local councillors – on 5 June. Councillors will have the opportunity to ask for a report on the plan by officers and Robertsons for a like-for-like pitch rather than a 3G pitch which is more suitable for football. Chairman Ron Sharp plans to speak to the councillors when the matter is discussed in the Stonehaven council chambers.
Aberdeenshire Council has received bids from developers to build some 4585 houses all around Portlethen and at Findon. This is part of the process in refreshing the council’s local development plan. If a bid is turned down it greatly lessens the likelihood of it receiving planning permission in future years.
Ron Sharp commented that the community was in a similar position five years when the plan was last reviewed. Community councillors agreed to hold a special private meeting to discuss the bids in detail, however it was the consensus that they do not want to see coalescence with other communities.
Among other matters there was a discussion about setting up a Portlethen radio station. Ian Hunter from Mearns FM outlined how this could be done on the internet for around £2000. There could be space for a studio in the Porty Cabin. Community councillor Paul Melling volunteered to find out more.
A member of the public thanked community councillors – and councillors – for all their efforts on behalf of the community, and wondered how more people could be persuaded to attend the meetings.

Pitch petition to go before councillors

I have just heard that the petition about the synthetic sports pitch at Portlethen Academy is to go before councillors next month.
The petition was forwarded to Aberdeenshire Council’s chief executive by the community council after many people were up in arms at proposals agreed between Aberdeenshire Council officials and Robertsons that there would be a like for like replacement of the worn 2G pitch. Many residents called for the pitch to have a 3G pitch, which is much more suitable for football, but less so for hockey.
The petition is to be considered by the Kincardine & Mearns Area Committee at its meeting on 5 June in the Council Chamber, Viewmount, Arduthie Road, Stonehaven.
It is open to the community council to request to speak at the meeting. Individuals with an interest in the issue can also ask to speak. Requests have to be lodged with the Kincardine and Mearns Area Manager no later than noon on Friday 1 June.
I had contacted council officers, knowing that the community council will be meeting in the academy tonight and would want to know what had happened to the petition.

Recycling survey results published

The results are in from a public survey about the future of recycling and waste services in Aberdeenshire. At the moment the recycling rate is 43.5%, and a new recycling and waste strategy is being developed. A full public consultation will take place in the autumn.
 
Almost 4,000 survey responses were received – here’s a summary of what residents said, which is feeding into the development of the new draft strategy:
 
• 75% put their food waste bin out for collection weekly or every second time. 19% never use their food waste bin. Only 28% fully use their weekly food waste bin capacity (or require a second bin).
 
• 88% put their blue recycling bin out for collection every time. 59% already fully use their weekly recycling bin capacity (or require a second bin).
 
• 90% put their landfill bin out for every collection. Half manage with 3/4 or less of their weekly landfill bin capacity, and 28% even with less than half a bin.
 
• Respondents were unhappy about being asked to give a preference for a smaller landfill bin, less frequent landfill bin collections or both, despite being given the reasons for such a change and the question having been specifically worded as ‘if you had to choose one of the options’. 7% felt so strongly about this they refused to provide an answer and finished the survey at this point. Of those who did provide an answer (if only to be able to move to the next question), 69% preferred a smaller landfill bin, 26% preferred less frequent collections and 5% both.
 
• More than 1,700 suggestions for new glass recycling points were received – these are  being followed up with a view to installation in communities.
 
• 68% preferred the currently available ways to recycle their garden waste (composting at home, taking garden waste to recycling centres and seasonal village garden waste collection points). Only 16% preferred to reduce the frequency of landfill bin collection to accommodate kerbside garden waste collections using the same vehicles and 11% a chargeable opt-in kerbside garden waste collection.
 
You can see all of the survey results here: http://bit.ly/BRSRes

Councils see budgets cut

Research by the independent Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) shows that councils in Scotland have seen almost £750m axed from their budgets for front-line services over the past five years as they “suffer the brunt” of Scots austerity cuts.
The study says this is a “much faster rate” than the decline in cuts to the Scottish Government’s budget from Westminster over the same period – £547m.
The steepest cuts have been felt by the Western Isles, with a £504 per reduction in funding per resident, which compares with a £36 fall in North Ayrshire. The biggest mainland fall has been on Argyll and Bute where funding is down by £288.
Aberdeenshire has suffered too, and we expect further unwelcome cuts in services as a result in less funding from the Scottish Government in the coming years.
A COSLA spokesperson said: “There is no doubt that councils have suffered the brunt of cuts in recent years and the simple truth is that Scotland’s councils have no room left to manoeuvre in terms of budgets.”

Report card on Hillside School

In March inspectors from Education Scotland and the Care Inspectorate visited Hillside School and nursery. The report was published today.  

The inspectors praised the inspiring leadership of the head teacher and her deputy in leading the formation of the new school. They also singled out the clear focus on the wellbeing of the children, the stimulating nursery environment, the inclusive nature of planning for change, and a wide range of effective partnerships. 

A number of areas for improvement were identified, including improving the consistency of high quality learning, continuing to improve attainment and the curriculum, and ensuring that it reflects the diversity of children who attend the nursery and the school. 

The report can be read in full at: 

https://education.gov.scot/inspection-reports/aberdeenshire/1003607

 

Opposition to housing bid

A well-attended meeting of North Kincardine Rural Community Council tonight with a discussion on development proposals attracting many of the 30 or so residents.
Much of the discussion centred on the bid by Comer Homes for land at Banchory Devenick to be zoned for houses and apartments. The community council heard that last night a local meeting had attracted about 80 residents who are opposed to the proposals.
The Banchory Devenick plans are but one of about 600 bids for the next Aberdeenshire local development plan. It contains all policies against which planning applications are judged. It also sets out which area of land are zoned for development or special protection.
There have been 32 bids in the North Kincardine Rural area, such as at Maryculter, Blairs, and Causeyport. There will an opportunity for the public to put forward their comments in due course. Meanwhile community council representatives and local councillors will meet next month to hear more about the bids from council officers.
In other matters, a police constable was present to hear residents voice concerns about a number of issues including speeding, motorbikes, an abandoned caravan on the C5K road, and vegetation causing obstructions on the South Deeside Road.
Banchory Devenick Parent Council is to receive a £500 grant from the community council towards the cost of school trips.
Saturday’s plant sale at the Corbie hall means two local good causes (Riding for the Disabled and Mucky Boots) will share the £850 profit.
The community council’s past-its-best noticeboard at Banchory Devenick School is to be removed and replaced. A new noticeboard is being put up at Lairhillock School this week.
The next meeting on Monday 16 June in Lairhillock School will be the annual general meeting. Community councillor Laureen Canessa is standing down and was thanked for her contribution. Anyone interested in becoming a community councillor should contact current members: http://www.nkrcc.org.uk/.

Mental health waiting time shock

North East MSP Mike Rumbles today revealed figures that show some patients in NHS Grampian have waited years for psychological therapy treatment.
New statistics acquired by the Scottish Liberal Democrats through freedom of information has shown Grampian health board has the longest recorded case in Scotland of an adult waiting over 1589 days (4.3 years) since 2015/16.
The longest waiting times for subsequent years include:
•                     455 days in 2016/17
•                     601 days in 2017/18
•                     603 days on current waiting lists
Following the publication of the figures, Mr Rumbles said: “It is disappointing but not surprising that NHS Grampian, the worst-funded board in Scotland, has some of the longest mental health waiting times in the country.”
 

Check-up on tanning services

Aberdeenshire Council’s environmental health service will soon be measuring the UV output from sunbed tubes used by tanning shops.

Officers will be undertaking advisory visits to business premises owning or hiring out sunbeds to help protect sunbed users from over-exposure of UV radiation.

Checks will ascertain whether sunbeds comply with the relevant European standard and test whether equipment is considered to be operating at within legal limits.

The aim is to encourage businesses to purchase and use 0.3 W/m2 compliant tubes, which reduces the risk of users overexposing themselves to UV radiation, reducing the risk of burning and of developing skin cancer.

A tanning session using compliant tubes delivers the same tanning effects as the Mediterranean mid-day summer sun without the risk of burning, which non-compliant bulbs may present.

Over three weeks from 28 May to 15 June, environmental health officers will visit establishments owning or hiring sunbeds in Aberdeenshire.

If anyone has any queries email environmental health officers at environmental@aberdeenshire.gov.uk