Go-ahead for council’s new offices strategy

Today Aberdeenshire councillors voted by 43-25 not to build a new headquarters in Inverurie. Instead we aim to share Woodhill House in Aberdeen with NHS Grampian and others, while having more appropriate, modern offices in Stonehaven, Ellon and Inverurie.

In Stonehaven we would refurbish offices in Viewmount, while releasing Carlton House and office space in Arduthie School, while providing a public-facing service point at Allardice Street. Plans are progressing at pace and work is likely to begin in the second half of 2018.

At Ellon, the council will release all existing offices and consolidate in a new office to be built on the site of the former academy in the town.

In Inverurie, the town hall will be refurbished and extended to provide offices for staff as well as a service point. Gordon House will then be released. This will bring 450 staff from Blackhall Road directly into the town centre.

Council office staff can work flexibly, depending on the needs of the service they deliver and the community they serve. Part of the plans include wider dispersal of staff across Aberdeenshire who can utilise office space and hot desks in offices and locations in all towns across the area.

Now that this option has been chosen, a move to Harlaw in Inverurie has been taken off the table. The SNP/Labour opposition had wanted the move to Inverurie to be kept on the table and Woodhill House to be released – but they lost the vote.

The plans will see the following number of staff in each location:
• Inverurie – 450
• Woodhill – 800
• Stonehaven – 245
• Ellon – 163
• Peterhead – 183

The office space strategy is based on a sustainable financial model i.e. this is not new money as savings will be generated from the disposal of old properties, and through the modern, cost efficiency of new buildings – saving on large repairs and maintenance, in particular on Gordon House in Inverurie. The preferred option retains Woodhill House with a large income stream of both existing and potential new tenants.

This was a milestone in the journey to have offices suitable for council staff, and gives certainty as officers seek to turn the plans into a reality.

By the way, one councillor “no voted”, which means he did not agree with either the motion from the administration (Liberal Democrats / Conservatives / independents) or the amendment from the official opposition (SNP / Labour). In our North Kincardine ward, Councillor Pike and I voted with the administration while Councillor Bews (SNP) and Councillor Evison (Labour) voted to dispose of Woodhill House and continue with efforts to move to Inverurie.

Garden waste service running again

Aberdeenshire Council is operating its seasonal garden waste recycling service again this year:

  • Saturdays from 14 April to 3 November 2018 at the Coastal Park car park in Newtonhill from 8am to 11.40am.

Please do not leave garden waste in the car park when the collection service is not there. This is fly-tipping and offenders may be prosecuted.

Garden waste can also be taken to the Household Recycling Centre at Badentoy industrial park, Portlethen AB12 4ZD (Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Thursday 9am to 4:30pm, and Friday 9am to 4pm. It is closed every Tuesday and Wednesday).

For other ideas on how to deal with garden waste, including obtaining discounted home composters, visit www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/waste/other/garden-waste or call the Wasteline on 0845 600 3 900.

Come for a walk with wildlife

A Walking with Wildlife event is set to take place on Sunday 20 May at Chapelton as part of the Wellbeing Week Festival.
It will offer children and adults the chance to discover the amazing wildlife that hides among Chapelton’s surrounding countryside.
Join Aberdeenshire Council countryside ranger Helen Young for a mini beast scavenger hunt (under 12s) from 11am to 12.30pm, starting from the new woodland planting at Nether Cairnhill, on your left as you enter Chapelton. Helen will also be leading a wildlife wander for adults from 1pm to 3.30pm. Meet at the Causey Mounth at the entrance to Chapelton. Both events are free.
To register your place or find out more information, visit the Chapelton Facebook page or email CCIC_Admin@chapeltonlife.co.uk
The Bettridge Centre in Newtonhill is also holding an event as part of the Wellbeing Festival – a free Come and Try day for all ages. They are just finalising the details but you should be able to try your hand at a range of activities including yoga and meditation, archery, line dancing, netball and walking netball – to mention but a few!

More speed checks in Portlethen

Police Scotland are to step up speed checks at “major locations” around Portlethen, including Bruntland Road. Comments were made at tonight’s community council that some traffic tops 60mph.

Among other topics were:

The planning application by Asda for a replacement petrol station and a new restaurant were outlined by a company representative. He also said that the store will undergo a major refurbishment later this year, costing millions.

The gala has been re-energised by new members on the committee.

A case for the community council joining the Scottish Rural Parliament was not supported on the basis that Portlethen is urban rather than rural.

A special community council meeting – open to the public – will be held on 2 May after a petition was received about the like-for-like replacement of the synthetic pitch at the academy.

News from the area committee

Some local snippets from today’s Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee meeting in Stonehaven:

– Community councils will receive an annual administration grant. Newtonhill, Muchalls and Cammachmore CC will receive £651, North Kincardine Rural CC £494, and Portlethen CC £1356. The sum varies according to the number of electors.

– Councillors agreed with a proposal to sell houses on a case by case basis when they become void if they require major energy efficiency improvements, significant investment, or are the remaining council property in a mixed tenure block. The money raised will be used to purchase another house within the same community, which should also attract Scottish Government grant. The council has some 13,000 houses.

– The council’s roads service is to look into whether two country roads in North Kincardine can be Priority 1 gritting routes. This follows the receipt of two petitions from resident, one from the Kirkton of Maryculter about the U63K and the other from Causey Mounth residents about the C34K towards the South Deeside Road. A further report will come back to committee.

– Some 97.6% of reported street lighting faults are fixed within seven days. And 94.9% of household planning applications are dealt with within two months.

Search for village shop tenant

Scotmid Co-operative Society today assured me they are taking steps to find a new tenant for the recently-closed village store in Newtonhill.
 
Chief executive John Brodie tells me that they are appointing an agent to market the property to find a suitable future occupier, and they have already received some early enquiries following its closure.
 
He adds that whether the next occupier will be for a convenience store or an alternative retail or other use remains to be seen.
 
There will certainly be challenges for whoever that will be as they try to operate a profitable business. The shop has been there since 1912 … I wonder what lies ahead?

Why underpass lights are as they are

Every so often someone asks about the street lights at the underpass at the A90 Findon junction, and why they are set the way they are.

Here is the explanation from the roads service:

“This particular underpass and indeed the one at Hillside both have a specialist lighting system in place. The light levels in the underpass/tunnel section are controlled by way of a light sensor located outside the underpass, which aligns the light level inside the area to the level outside.

“The sensor monitors the light level continuously and switches lights on and off to maintain the required level. Even during broad daylight, there will be lights illuminated in the underpass as this is when most light is required to match outside levels. As the ambient light level falls outside, the level of the light required in the tunnel reduces, so less lighting is required.

“So, in summary, the lights do not switch on/off at dusk/dawn, in the same way as the majority of our street lights but are continually monitored and switch according to the light level required in the underpass/tunnel area.”

Travel surveys taking place

Interviews on travel habits will be taking place in Portlethen on Wednesday (25 April), at Bruntland Road and Muirend Road.
 
The surveys are being carried out by Tracsis Traffic Data, who have been contracted to undertake this work on behalf of Aberdeenshire Council’s transport strategy team. This will not affect drivers.
 
These surveys are aimed at gathering information on the travelling habits of the Aberdeenshire population, as part of the monitoring and reporting requirements of the Scottish Governments’ Smarter Choices Smarter Places funding.
 
A similar survey will take place in Stonehaven on Wednesday 2 May at Market Square, the railway station, and the Old Pier.

Beware scam calls

Aberdeenshire Council’s Trading Standards are warning residents to beware of calls purporting to be from HM Revenue and Customs.
The calls, from various telephone numbers, allege the person owes tax or is under investigation for tax fraud.
The main purpose of the scam is to obtain personal details from those taking the call.
Aberdeenshire Council’s Trading Standards manager Wilma Urquhart said: “This scam has gone on for some considerable time but we continue to receive reports from residents extremely worried that they may be under investigation.
“I would reassure people that this is a clear scam and they should ignore the call.
“HMRC would not use this method of contact if they were conducting an investigation and the calls are an attempt to gain personal or bank details.”
These calls can be reported to Action Fraud at www.actionfraud.police.uk or contact 03454 04 05 06 for further advice.

Date for sports hub AGM

Portlethen Sports Hub will be holding its annual general meeting on Wednesday 23 May at 6pm in the academy. I do hope the AGM will be well supported.

It is open to all sports clubs in the North Kincardine ward and indeed to anyone who is interested in sport.

Sportlethen now has a notice board and table in the foyer of Portlethen Swimming Pool.

Also for the diary (provisionally) is the first Sportlethen Running Event, on 9 September. Hopefully this will be confirmed in due course. At the moment there will be a women’s 5K run, and family 3K.