New-style recycling litter bins could be established in Portlethen. “Recycling on the Go”, as this is called, is funded by the Scottish Government. It allows us all to recycle as we move around and separate litter into materials that can be recycled, and thereby reduce waste to landfill. As such, these can be located in areas where the public will be passing – in the same way litter bins are used.

The containers used are bigger than litter bins; however there is in essence no difference to what is put in the bins, only it is separated out. There are three containers, one for litter, one plastic bottles and one for cans. These are not the usual recycling points we have around – and should not be for people visiting by car. They are for people dropping single or a few items in as they pass.

The community council and local councillors are being asked for their comments.

Sites in mind at the moment are outside PortlethenAcademy in the school bus drop-off area, where there is already a litter bin; near the bus stop on Muirend Road across from Broomfield Park; and across Muirend Road from other exit from Broomfield Park. 

One site which is being ruled out is on Oak Drive, near the swimming pool. The Recycling on the Go unit there will be moved within the next week.

The community council is being asked to put forward one response on behalf of Portlethen.

Tonight we had an update on progress with the development of the new town of Chapelton of Elsick. Steady progress. Work of well underway with the access road – apparently to be called Greenlaw Road – with the sales office due to open at the end of May.

Here are some of the highlights: 

• The streets will be designed to restrict vehicle speeds to 20mph – and without using speed bumps.
• The two objectors to the closure of the central reservation gap at the Bruntland Road junction with the A90 are sticking to their guns. There are fears over the safety of right turns. Transport Scotland officials are considering whether to hold a local public enquiry or let the objectors challenge the proposals in the Court of Session.
• The construction work on the roundabout at the Newtonhill flyover should be completed by the end of March. The site roads should be completed in mid April.
• There will be a further three weeks of rock breaking between 7am and 6pm during road construction.
• Heavy construction vehicles have still been using the Newtonhill-Cookney road instead of access roads. The message is to be reinforced that should not be happening.
• Portlethen community councillor Paul Melling told the meeting of meetings he has had with the Scottish Secretary and the Cabinet Secretary for Finance to argue the case for government help in the short-term to bring forward the building of an underpass at the Bourtreebush junction between Bruntland Road and the A90. North East MSP Alison McInnes will be following this up with the Scottish Government.
• The provision of a medical centre was also discussed, with it being earmarked for 2028 (best guess, as this depends on the rate of development). Meanwhile at Portlethen, some £60,000 is being spent on scanning in paper records which will free up office space for an extra surgery room. However Dr Ewan Clark said that four more consulting rooms are ideally required to cope with growing demands.
• Work is underway on the education implications, with youngsters due to attend NewtonhillPrimary School. A report is due to go before councillors in September.
• The possibility of existing residences being connected to the new utility services was also raised. These houses were in the countryside but will shortly be either near or in a new town, but without the facilities. David Southesk promised that these residents can connect to the new services. He will continue the discussions with residents, including the cost implications. 

Attending were the developers, Transport Scotland, contractors, NHS Grampian, three local councillors, community councils, council officers, and residents.

A busy night in the academy at Portlethen Community Council. And six members of the public (including well-behaved youngsters), two police officers, three Aberdeenshire councillors, and three developers. But no press. Here’s some of the highlights:

• The community council agreed in principle to take over the running of the Portlethen Gala in August from Befriend a Child. It will depend on the level of support from residents.
   
• Youngsters have again been seen inside the listed Hillside House which is slowly crumbling.
   
• Seven or eight sheep have been killed, possibly by a dog, in the fields between the church and Old Portlethen. The farmer would be within his rights to shoot a dog worrying sheep.
   
• Issues about local bus services are to be raised at the Kincardine and Mearns Bus Forum on Thursday 3 April in the council chamber at Viewmount in Stonehaven. Residents are welcome to attend and put their points to Stagecoach bosses.
   
• Plans for a commercial waste recycling centre at Duffshill were unveiled. Concerns that Aberdeen City Council wanted to build an incinerator on the site were dispelled. The site will not be expanded until the link road (part of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route) from the Findon underpass goes ahead.
   
• A traffic survey is to be carried out by Aberdeenshire Council following concerns over congestion at the two primary schools.
   
• Police are to continue to pay attention to parking particularly at PortlethenPrimary School. Although traffic wardens are being removed by Police Scotland, police officers will still enforce parking laws. The meeting heard that on one day in Huntly 36 parking tickets were issued.
• Local officers are also keeping an eye on local properties after reports of suspicious characters. Residents are again reminded not to leave front doors and back doors unlocked. Sneak thieves can be looking for car keys.
• More graffiti has appeared locally. Police appealed for any information.
   
• The news of £60,000 from the Scottish Government for the Jubilee Hall was welcomed. There are hopes that the government can be persuaded to help finance the building of an underpass at Bourtreebush earlier than planned by Chapelton of Elsick developers.

The campaign to re-open the railway station at Newtonhill is being sidelined by the Scottish Government, though not ruled out in the long-term.

The Transport Minister in a letter to North East MSP Alison McInnes was tantalisingly vague about Newtonhill.

In his letter the minister refers to plans to increase the number of services stopping at existing stations in the area. This will be done by extending the Inverness-Aberdeen services south to Montrose. He writes that this would benefit Portlethen, Stonehaven, Laurencekirk and, most interestingly, “additional new stations”.

Transport Minister Keith Brown refers to the Nestrans regional transport strategy, and echoes the response Alison McInnes received from Rab Dickson, the transport strategy manager for Nestrans. Mr Dickson had suggested that there is a possibility for additional train stations to the south of the city, but “this is not a priority” with there being are no immediate plans to build a station at Newtonhill.

Indeed the minister closes by saying the re-opening of stations such as Newtonhill will only be considered if they meet two qualifying criteria. The first is a positive Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) appraisal. The second is that there will be high levels of demand.

Local councillor Ian Mollison said: “We always knew this would be a long haul. Kintore railway station is due to open by 2019, apparently. After that we have to campaign hard for Newtonhill. By that time some of the houses in Chapelton of Elsick will be occupied. This new town will bolster the case for re-opening the station. However l fear this will be a long campaign.”

More than £1 million may be invested in the fire service’s training centre at Portlethen. 

The news was warmly welcomed this week by North Kincardine Liberal Democrat councillor Ian Mollison.   

He said: “I made enquiries after Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill MSP told the Scottish Parliament at Topical Questions that there would be investment at Portlethen. This could provide jobs for staff displaced by the closure of the fire control centre at Mounthooly in Aberdeen. 

“The fire service’s local senior officer for Aberdeenshire & Moray, David Rout, confirmed that this is under consideration.

 “He told me that a strategic review of training facilities in the North of Scotland has identified a number of key capital investment opportunities across the service delivery area. 

“Mr Rout said that the Portlethen facility is an integral part of the training and employee development strategic training infrastructure due to its location, ease of access and current facilities.

“A capital investment plan has been developed for the next three financial years which includes an accumulative spend of circa £1.2m at the Portlethen site. 

“The proposed capital investment includes the purchase and installation of new compartment fire behaviour training units, a covered all-weather training facility and the upgrading of the ICT infrastructure. 

“A further proposal for the development of an incident command training suite at the site is to be considered as part of a wider incident command training strategy and forms part of the organisation service transformation programme.

“Mr Rout also told me that further investment may also be required following the outcomes of the organisation’s specialist appliances review and the need to train personnel in new specialist skills across the North.

 “He did however emphasise that these are only proposals at this time and although included within Scottish Fire and Rescue Service capital plan, they are subject to final approval by board. 

“This could be very welcome news for the Portlethen area.” 

The training centre is to the west of Portlethen, just beyond the site of the planned Hillside primary school.

Councillors today agreed how Aberdeenshire will spend its money over the coming years.

North Kincardine councillor Ian Mollison explains: “We agreed a budget of £517 million for 2014/15 on how we run day-to-day front-line services. That’s everything from providing carers, emptying bins, paying staff, to fixing the roads. The Press and Journal ran a scare story the other day about cuts. There are none at this time.

“However, we don’t know for certain what grants we will get further in the future from the Scottish Government. These grants become more and more important the longer that council tax is frozen (that was agreed too today). The council’s cost are continuing to rise as well. So the best estimate from our financial team is that there could be a £49m hole in the budget by 2018/19. We are preparing for the worst while hoping for the best. There’s no hiding the fact that very serious challenges could lie ahead. But not this coming year.

“Councillors also agreed the capital plan. This is good news. This year we are spending £100m. Over the coming years it is the investment totals some £800m, unrivalled across Scotland.

“New academies/community campuses in Laurencekirk, Ellon and Alford; care homes in Stonehaven and Inverurie; and new primary schools including Hillside (£11m), Drumoak, Kintore, Turriff, Inverurie and Kinellar. Two new children’s homes, a family centre at Inverurie and new leisure facilities at Banchory and Banff/Macduff are also included.

“We will also be paying £75 million maximum for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, which will be financed through £30 million of budgeted expenditure and anticipated borrowing of £45 million.

“More than £20 million is being spent on improving our council housing in 2014-15, with £24.6m earmarked for new builds (meaning 169 programmed for completion by April next year). 

“Councillors also agreed to a 4.5% increase in council house rent charges from 1 April 2014. The current average weekly rent is £60.19. This decision will increase the rent by £2.71. Funds raised through rents are ploughed back into the housing stock.

“All the decisions were agreed by all parties – Conservative, Liberal Democrat, Labour, SNP and independents. There only two dissenting voices: the lone Green and an independent.”

A new bus timetable is to be introduced by 5 May, including additional services between Aberdeen and Stonehaven.

Stagecoach are now asking customers to look at the proposals and share their thoughts, whether in support of the revisions or expressing any concerns.

Managing director Steve Walker said: “Our monitoring has shown that some of the routes would benefit from these proposed timetable changes to increase journey reliability above all else, so it’s important we get these changes right.

“We’re asking our customers and indeed prospective customers to let us know what they think, so we can take any comments on board and make any amendments where possible.”

The proposed timetable includes these local changes:

Monday – Friday Additional X7 journeys at 0840 and 1645 ex Stonehaven and 0925 and 1600 ex Aberdeen. Service X6 at 1655 ex Aberdeen retimed to operate 5 minutes later. Service 7 at 1740 ex Aberdeen to become a service 7B.

Saturday 1615 Service 7 ex Aberdeen to become a 7B, 1730 Service 7 ex Aberdeen retimed to 1740 and additional 1720 Service 7B ex Aberdeen. 

All the proposed changes available to view at website: www.stagecoachbus.com/HIghlands and Bluebird timetable review.aspx 

Comments should be put directly to Stagecoach at bluebird.enquiries@stagecoachbus.com  Stagecoach ask emails have the subject line of ‘Timetable Consultations’.

Secondary education was in the spotlight at the Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee today. Councillors questioned the three local head teachers about the results among senior pupils.

Councillor Ian Mollison said later: “I have to say I was concerned, even worried, by the results from Portlethen Academy. They were lower than those from similar academies. However I was reassured by head teacher Neil Morrison whose presentation was inspirational. And jargon-free, which was refreshing.

“He acknowledged there were “significant concerns” regarding comparative schools. However there were many positives. Secondary 5 pupils pulled up in some measures, and Secondary 4 pupils performed better than expected.”

Mr Morrison also pointed out that young people were very successful at getting jobs or going to college when ideally the staff would like them to stay on longer at school. The concern is that initially they have been very successful but four or five years down the road in their careers they may hit a ceiling in their careers.

Turning to another issue, Mr Morrison said he was very worried about girls at the academy. They are not attaining as they should. One reason could be that a number of female pupils do not have breakfast. Efforts are being to address this, with encouraging results … for example the school canteen is testament to that before the school day begins.

In order to improve standards at the academy, staff have been visiting other schools, such as Mearns Academy and Craigie High in Dundee. Maths have been a particular concern. The teachers have come back with a wealth of ideas, he said.

Portlethen Academy has seen a number of successful appointments in the past year. He told councillors that the staff are very focussed on attainment: “We will ensure all our people attain their very best. We need to increase aspiration.”

Among the other issues he mentioned were career academies where pupils are mentored by business people. He also said that behaviour in the school is significantly better.

I pointed out the obvious – that pupils only have one chance at receiving a secondary education. There is no reason that PortlethenAcademy should not have as good or indeed better results than similar schools. Mr Morrison gave me the confidence that this is achievable.

The Mearns Leader and the Evening Express had journalists at the meeting, so hopefully reports will appear in both papers. 

The council meeting also heard reports about progress with dealing with flooding around the Mearns, including Stonehaven, Fettercairn, Portlethen, and St Cyrus.

Planning permission was given for the replacement of a house at Batchart Cottages at Blairs. 

A £5000 grant was agreed for the Dickson Hall at Laurencekirk to support Scotland’s only Tea Festival. The three-day festival will mark Aberdeenshire’s links with the tea industry, and is part of the Homecoming 2014 series of events.

A £100,945 tender was accepted to repair and refurbish the Stonehaven Clock Tower in the old town.