Cash for business rates crisis

According to media reports, Finance Minister Derek Mackay has announced that £17m will be made available to help North East councils manage the fallout of business rate revaluations. The money for Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Angus councils will provide relief to firms that will see their rates soar by as much as 200%. If that is true, then I await the details with interest.

We won’t put up council tax across the board

The opposition on Aberdeenshire Council – which includes me – will not be supporting the SNP/Labour plans to increase council tax across the board.
Here is a statement our group gave to the press tonight:
—————————————————
The SNP-led administration of Aberdeenshire Council are proposing to put up council tax by 2.5% when they set their budget next Thursday.
The Alliance Opposition Group will be putting forward an alternative budget when the council meets at Woodhill House.
Alliance and Conservative group Leader Cllr Jim Gifford commented: “We are working on the same figures as the SNP Administration but are taking a different approach to balancing the books which we will outline next week. We will not putting be council tax up across the board because we have managed to balance the budget without putting this extra burden on our residents. We know the SNP Scottish Government has already imposed a hefty council tax rise on all houses in bands E-H, some 42% of houses in Aberdeenshire, so we do not think it fair to ask people to pay even more money.”
Liberal Democrat group leader Cllr Karen Clark added: “We think there are other ways of making the council budget work and we just don’t see why we should ask our residents to pay more than they have to when times are tough in the north east.  Our businesses are being hit hard by the SNP’s massive rates hike, our residents are struggling with the downturn in the economy so we have to stand up for our residents who do not need more misery piled upon them.”
Independent group co-ordinator Cllr Norman Smith also said: “Even at this stage, we do not know the full details of the settlement and are still very much in the dark as to how exactly how much money we will actually have to spend next year. Derek Mackay is still doing last minute, back-room deals with the Greens and we are having to set a budget when we have very little confidence in the figures we’re being given. This is no way to run the finances of our councils.”
————————————————–

Car storage yard approved in greenbelt

Today was spent at Woodhill House (yes, in Aberdeen!) at the infrastructure services committee. There were a few local items.

A planning application from Arnold Clark to store up to 830 vehicles on a former temporary pipe storage yard at Duffshill, just west of the A90. As the site is in the greenbelt I argued this would be a significant departure from the Local Development Plan. I lost the argument by 10 votes to 2.

Council officers recommended that a planning application for permission in principle to build six houses on the site of the former Cammies hotel at Cammachmore should be refused, as it is in the greenbelt. I moved that the application be refused – to protect the greenbelt – and won the vote by 8 votes to 5.

The Scottish Government has asked councils for their views of increasing building warrant fees to cover the cost of the service. The government also wants to take more than a third of the fees collected by councils to pay for their 18 civil servants who deal with building standards. Councillors agreed today that we support the increase in fees – the first increase since 2005 – but not handing over part of that income to the Scottish Government. There was cross-party agreement that this could set a precedent. We also agreed that fees should rise in line with inflation so that such a situation does not arise again.

We also agreed with officers’ recommendation that a delivery and administration fee of £25 be levied for the supply of residual waste bins (i.e. for stuff that goes to landfill) to new properties. Recycling bins and food caddies will be supplied free of charge.

Reference was made in reports to a cycleway from Wellington Road to Marywell, as part of an assessment of long distance paths. Slow progress, but it is still on the horizon.

Regarding burial ground, the reports says land issues have delayed expenditure art various sites. Projects including at Maryculter have been delayed until 2017/18.

Disruption to traffic at Marywell

Scottish Water is attending to a leaking water main which is causing a footpath to sink outside Marywell Farmhouse. As the location is near to the existing road works, Scottish Water has been asked to liaise with Nicol of Skene in order to use the existing traffic lights on site.

With regards to the temporary traffic lights, council roads officers tell me there are a number of works to be carried out for the new Cairnrobin development.

At present Nicol of Skene is forming a new bellmouth, and installing a rising main and gas main for the new development, and CHAP is carrying out cabling works for SSE. All works were applied for in the appropriate timescales, and are recorded on the Scottish Road Works Register.

With regards to the temporary traffic lights causing disruption, here is the reply to council roads officers from Nicol of Skene.

“My colleague is aware of the issues being experienced. Please accept our apologies for the disruption with the traffic signals. On two occasions, unfortunately batteries have been stolen from the traffic signals during the night which has resulted in the tailbacks and the complaints you have received. The police were informed but we should have informed you also. On the days that the lights were working we did manually operate during peak times and it flowed well.”

A meeting took place with all contractors, and a representative from Aberdeenshire Council (Roads Section) at the beginning of this week, and the following plan has been agreed:

• Friday 3rd Feb – Nicol of Skene to remove traffic management currently in place
• Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th Feb – CHAP to continue works on behalf of SSE on the roundabout with a lane closure in place. As this is at the weekend disruption will be kept to a minimum.
• W/C 6th Feb – CHAP continue to work on cable trench excavations work in footpath. Nicol of Skene traffic management will not be in operation again until W/C 13th Feb.
• Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th – CHAP to complete works to cross lanes at roundabout to east of A90 underpass. Lane closure system to be implemented as before.
• W/C 13th Feb – Nicol of Skene to set up traffic management again and continue with their works.

Council officers add: “We appreciate that there will be some unavoidable disruptions whilst works are ongoing. However, we have been advised that disruptions will be kept to a minimum. If this is not the case, then please do not hesitate to contact the department, and we can look into the matter further.”

SNP/Labour propose council tax rise

An across-the-board 2.5% council tax rise is being proposed at next Thursday’s meeting of the full Aberdeenshire Council. This is on top of the Scottish Government imposed increases for homes in band E and above. The figures below include both increases.
The recommendation comes from Alan Wood, the council’s head of finance, however the decision on whether to implement it will be made by councillors.
The report – which can be viewed at http://committees.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/committees.aspx?commid=1&meetid=18344, contains details of the council budget for the coming year, and there is also a recommendation to increase council house rents by 3.75% from 3 April.
2017-0202-council-tax

Government snubs business rates rise delay

The Scottish Government today ruled out one avenue of support for North East businesses who face crippling increases in their rates bill.

In questions put to the Scottish Government, North East Liberal Democrat MSP Mike Rumbles asked the finance secretary to outline his position on delaying the proposed increases in business rates. In a single sentence response, he was advised that the SNP Government has no such plans.

Mr Rumbles said: “It is clear from Mr Mackay’s blunt response that the government is purely paying lip service to legitimate concerns and has no plans to work out any agreement with North East businesses to phase in or delay increases to business rates. This is despite the cabinet secretary’s recent and much publicised discussions with business and local authority leaders.

“Rather than focusing on the spin, Mr Mackay should be doing all in his power to assist struggling local businesses. The issue simply has to be addressed.”

New primary to open next month

Hillside School is scheduled to open to pupils next month. The contractors are hoping to handover the building to Aberdeenshire Council in early March to allow for IT equipment to be installed and the relevant checks undertaken.

And the doors should open for pupils on Monday 27 March.

There are some remedial works to be undertaken to the surrounding roads which require around four weeks to complete. To ensure pupil and staff safety, these works are programmed for the 2017 school summer holidays.

MSP calls for action over business rates rise

Mike Rumbles, the Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP for the North East, today wrote to finance secretary Derek Mackay MSP attacking his unwillingness to provide North East businesses with relief on massive business rates hikes.

With business rates for some North East firms doubling or even tripling, Mr Rumbles has urged the Scottish Government to take action, rather than pass the buck to local authorities. He further notes that failure to act would increase the likelihood of a Scottish Government defeat when their budget is brought to Parliament on Thursday.

Mr Rumbles said: “Mr Mackay may be meeting with North East business leaders and local authority chiefs but he is not taking action to address their valid concerns over rising business rates and the slashing of the council block grants. Rather than leave the local authorities to resolve the issue of business rates, Mr Mackay needs to listen to what they’re saying and take action. He cannot use them as a shield for his decisions.

“The Scottish Government brings its budget to Parliament on Thursday, if it fails to act on this issue it increases the likelihood of a clear and embarrassing defeat.”