County signs to return

I contacted the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route managing agent as the project is nearing its completion to ask about the reinstatement of the county boundary signs at the Charleston junction.
 
Most of the other signs are there and final touches are being made to the AWPR/A90/Wellington Road junction.
 
Today I was told that the contractor, Aberdeen Roads Ltd, has confirmed that signage removed from the existing road network to accommodate the construction works will be replaced accordingly. Aberdeenshire Council officers have also confirmed that specific boundary signs including “Historic Kincardineshire” will be reinstated.

Building warrant for industrial units

A building warrant has been granted by Aberdeenshire Council for the erection of two blocks of industrial starter units at the City South Business Park at Hillside.

There would be eight units in one block and 11 in the other. The application was submitted by the Dandara Group. The work is valued at £1,453,440.

News that more industrial units may be built will no doubt be welcomed by residents as there were fears that the development had stalled due to the impact of the oil and gas downturn.

There is more information – particularly a location map – at https://upa.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/online-applications/scottishBuildingWarrantDetails.do?activeTab=details&keyVal=P6E598CAITR00

Road closes for BT work

Part of the Portlethen to Lairhillock road (the C13K) will be closed during the day for a fortnight while BT carry out network upgrade works.
 
The road will be closed at the eastern end for 14 days from 16 July until 29 July from 9.30am to 3.30pm every day.
 
Emergency and pedestrian access is to be maintained. Vehicular access to affected properties to be maintained whenever possible. Site notices will be erected in due course.

Checks at Lairhillock School

There was a meeting of the full Aberdeenshire Council today, and one issue of local note concerns Lairhillock School.

As part of the programme of checks carried out on schools following the fatal accident in Edinburgh in 2016, further investigation is to take place at Lairhillock over the summer holidays. The school was originally one of the public private partnership (PPP) schools of that era; however it was subsequently changed to a traditional arrangement and procured directly by the council.

However, given the design concept was similar to the other PPP schools there is a need to undertake intrusive surveys in order to provide further re-assurance that all is well. This is being planned for the summer holiday period.

A non-intrusive visual inspection found that the building was generally in good condition.

Any remedial works will be undertaken before the end of the holidays.

Similar checks have already been carried out in other schools, including Portlethen Academy, and remedial work carried out such as more wall ties.

The Evening Express has more: https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/fp/news/local/holes-to-be-drilled-in-schools-walls-as-part-of-safety-check/

Remembering Piper Alpha

We are approaching the 30th anniversary of the Piper Alpha disaster when 167 men lost their lives. Victims came from far and wide including Newtonhill and Portlethen.

A special memorial service taking place in Aberdeen next week on the anniversary.

Families, friends and representatives from industry will come together for an Act of Remembrance taking place at 7pm on 6 July in the Piper Alpha Memorial Garden at Hazlehead Park.

Offshore workers will also be able to pay their respects as the service is being streamed live on the UK Oil and Gas Chaplaincy Facebook page. The timing of the event – chosen to best suit the families and to be closer to the actual time of the disaster – coincides with offshore workers changing shift.

The Rev Gordon Craig, chaplain to the UK offshore oil and gas industry, is organising the Act of Remembrance:
“We may be three decades on from the world’s worst offshore disaster but for families, friends, colleagues and survivors, the memories and feelings of loss are no less. Our service will enable those to come together with representatives from the city and industry and remember the loved ones who tragically never made it home.”

Helping hand for hall

A grant of £1300 is being made to the Jubilee Hall in Portlethen to help with the final stages of upgrading work.

The hall trustees have so far raised £8000 of the £30,000 required, Portlethen and District Community Council heard when the grant was being discussed.

The meeting also discussed a wide variety of issues, including the like-for-like replacement of the artificial pitch at the academy, a new all-weather 3G pitch at Hillside, bids for the next Aberdeenshire Local Development Plan, approval for a McDonald’s at Asda, the newly-opened Men’s Shed, county signs at the Charleston junction on the A90, and marking the end of World War One.

During the discussions about the academy pitch chairman Ron Sharp commented that both councillors and the community had a victory. He was referring to the decision by Aberdeenshire Council’s Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee agreeing that funding options for a 3G artificial pitch at Hillside should be investigated with a report to be presented to the council policy committee. Mr Sharp added that the community council should try to support Portlethen Sports Club as there will be a couple of difficult years for them.

If you would like to read more about Aberdeenshire Council’s proposals for improving recycling, you can see the report which was presented to councillors by clicking on this link and scrolling down to item 14 on the agenda:  http://committees.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/committees.aspx?commid=495&meetid=19015

The next community council meeting is at 7pm on Tuesday 24 July in the academy.

Country road closes

The C30K country road from Auchlunies to the South Deeside Road at Batchart is being affected by work being carried out by Openreach.
Their engineers are carrying out work in carriageway boxes so the road is being closed from 27 June until 13 July during the working week from 9:30am to 3:30pm daily (i.e. excluding weekends).
Emergency and pedestrian access is to be maintained, as is vehicular access to affected properties whenever possible.
The map shows the diversion route for the full period.

Key decisions re hall, pitches, Asda etc

One of the longest meeting of Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee today that I have attended. I’m off shortly to another meeting so here are the headlines:

• Maryculter Community Hall Association is being given a grant of £7000 for the provision of a toilet which will be accessible for disabled people, including a changing area. Total cost is £14,038.

• Portlethen is the only settlement in Scotland that has progressed so far through the place-making process. There has been a reasonable level of applications under the fund to disperse £20,000.

• The 2G artificial pitch at Portlethen Academy will see a like-for-like replacement as agreed between council officers and Robertsons. Craig McMorrin from the sports club spoke in favour of it being a 3G replacement. However it was clear that the decision could not be overturned by councillors.

I supported a motion that the area committee request the Aberdeenshire-wide communities committee to consider funding options for a 3G pitch in the town. This was defeated on the casting vote of the chairwoman, Cllr Agnew.

• We then discussed whether money raised from selling Maryculter East School could be allocated to a 3G pitch in Portlethen. However this would not conform with council policies. I supported a motion by Cllr Pike that the area committee request the Aberdeenshire-wide communities committee to consider funding options for a 3G pitch in the town. Yes, pretty much the same as before. This time it was supported by 9 votes to three. As I said at committee: “Let’s do something!”

• Next up was a discussion on integrated travel in Portlethen. Various projects are coming forward to encourage more cycling and walking. I pressed the case again for a safe link from Marywell to Cove, and from Portlethen to Cammachmore.

• The roads service presented a response to two petitions highlighting concerns about road clearance and gritting at Kirkton of Maryculter and at Banchory Devenick. I called for a fuller report with much more information to be presented to the next meeting.

• Planning permission in principle was given – against officer recommendation – for a house on scrub land to the north of Cedar Pines at Bridge of Muchalls. An application I was happy to support.

• Asda has received full planning permission for a fast-food drive-through and a new petrol station at its Portlethen store. Unanimous backing from councillors. There is more in the Evening Express: https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/fp/news/local/plans-for-new-two-storey-mcdonalds-drive-thru-in-north-east-town-approved/ 

All the reports can be found on the council website at http://committees.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/committees.aspx?commid=8&meetid=18923

First bypass section to open

UPDATE 27 June: The road opened as planned.

Transport Scotland says a section of the Aberdeen bypass will open this week.

“Phase 2a for the AWPR/B-T project (Parkhill / Goval to Blackdog) will open to traffic on Wednesday 27 June.

“Traffic management will be removed on this 7km section at 00:01 on Wednesday morning allowing traffic to use the road during the Wednesday morning peak period. Temporary signage will be erected on the A90 to notify drivers that the road will be opened for use.

“Opening this section of road will start to deliver a range of benefits including improved safety, local access and journey time reliability. Blackdog Junction opened to traffic in May 2018 and is already improving access to Belhelvie, Potterton, Blackdog and Blackdog Industrial Estate. The link with Parkhill Junction will further improve access to local areas and the trunk road network to the north of the city.”

More sections will open in due course with the last part being the new Don bridge.

There is more information at https://www.transport.gov.scot/progress-update/parkhill-goval-to-blackdog/