Report card on Newtonhill Nursery

The Care Inspectorate has carried out an inspection of Newtonhill School Nursery. The nursery has two sessions each day for a maximum of 40 children at each session, during school term times.
 
The Care Inspectorate issues grades after an inspection, on a scale from 1 to 6, where 1 is unsatisfactory and 6 is excellent. The results for Newtonhill are:
Quality of care and support 3 – Adequate
Quality of environment 4 – Good
Quality of staffing 4 – Good
Quality of management and leadership 4 – Good.
 
A number of recommendations were made to improve the grading, however there are many positive comments in the report.
 
The report can be seen in full at http://www.careinspectorate.com/index.php/inspections-reports?page=10

Road works ahead

Road resurfacing is to take place shortly on Bruntland Road, Portlethen, which will no doubt cause some disruption.

Work will begin on Monday (26 September) laying an asphalt inlay surface on Bruntland Road at three locations i.e. Cookston Road/Old Portlethen Road/Bruntland Road; Muirend Road/Bruntland Road junction and Berrymuir Road/Bruntland Road junction. This work will take five days.

This work is a continuation of a previous surface dressing scheme which was carried out in July.

A letter was delivered to residents in the Cookston Road / Bruntland Road area earlier this week which explains in more detail Aberdeenshire Council’s plans.

The roadworks have created problems for Stagecoach Bluebird and also school buses operated by large vehicles. There will be a temporary stop on Bruntland Road to ensure the kids are dropped off at the correct side of the road for phase 1 and the school has been informed. The council’s public transport unit has asked the roads department to keep them informed of when phase 2 will start .

Here is the information from Stagecoach:

“Due to roadworks scheduled to start on 27th September to 1st October around Bruntland Road, Portlethen the following diversion will be in place. 

Phase 1 
Services will route via Muirend Road, Bruntland Road, Berrymuir Road back on to Bruntland Road and Muirend Road. 

Phase 2 
Service will route along Muirend Raod and double back from the roundabout to Cookston Road then along Bruntland Road to Berrymuir Road, Oak Drive and back on to Bruntland Road.”

Housing proposals in the spotlight

The hot topic tonight at Newtonhill, Muchalls and Cammachmore Community Council was the plans by Barratts for housing to the south of Newtonhill.

Two representatives of the company were present, and revealed that they would like to build between in excess of 100 houses, maybe 150 homes, on the 18 acre site. Some 40% would be open space, and 25% of the houses would be affordable homes. The development is likely to be aimed at first-time buyers – “different from the offering at Chapelton”. They also said that due to the slope it was unlikely they could build next to the railway line.

Currently there is a 12 week consultation including a public discussion next Wednesday from 2pm to 7pm in the Bettridge Centre. “Feedback will be invaluable,” they said. The comments will help inform the proposals Barratts draw up. These will then be put to a second public consultation on a date yet to be fixed.

The earliest a planning application could be lodged is in mid-November. Barratt estimate it could take a further six to 12 months before a decision is made.

The community council also discussed a meeting held in private by Aberdeenshire Council’s Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee to sell a strip of land as the south end of Park Place which would allow access to the site. There was much disquiet with strong opinions being voiced.

Others matters included:

– No police officers could be present. The meeting heard that there have been two break-ins recently, one in Newtonhill, the other to the west of Muchalls, and vandalism in Muchalls.

– There may be 15 minute delays on the A90 while blasting takes place at Charleston for the construction of the Aberdeen bypass. This is likely to be off-peak in the coming weeks.

– The community council is to contact Aberdeenshire Council over concerns that the green waste bin lorry service may not return next year as the Badentoy recycling centre will have opened by then.

– Aberdeenshire Council is being asked to replace the broken bench above the cliffs west of South Headlands Crescent.

– Plans have been lodged for a 86 metres high wind turbine east of Broomhill Farm, Bridge of Muchalls.https://upa.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/onl…/applicationDetails.do…

Four members of the public attended the meeting, as well as three local councillors.

Grants for local groups

Good news today for the Maryculter Hall Users Association and the Portlethen Men’s Shed at Aberdeenshire Council’s Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee. We agreed to give both them grants.

The association applied for £500 to help fund a barrier to ensure the security of the football pitch beside the Corbie Hall. That’s half the cost.

The men’s shed requested £8000 towards the £29,361 cost of joinery, electrical, plumbing and heating work, as well as painting and decorating,and alarm system and a fire barrier system.

Three members of the men’s shed brought councillors up to date with the project, and their enthusiasm was obvious. And they confirmed that membership is open to men and women.

Both grants were approved unanimously by councillors.

Inaccurate report over swimming pools

An article in the Press & Journal today focussed on the future of leisure and cultural services in Aberdeenshire.

Maria Walker, Aberdeenshire Council’s director of education and children’s services, says that the headline ‘Swimming pools facing closure’ is totally misleading and inaccurate.

She confirms that officers are in the early stages of exploring different models for delivering leisure and cultural services, but she has assured me that none of the models being explored are considering closure or reduction of service. She says: “Any proposals which may come forward in the future would be subject to extensive staff consultation and would be carefully considered and scrutinised by councillors.

“We are not exploring models that require closures of any leisure or cultural services. We are proud of the excellent services we provide and the staff that support us in delivering them. All options build on the basis of securing our facilities and developing them further in the future.”

Contract delay causes concern

An hour was devoted tonight to the difficulties caused by the construction of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route at North Kincardine Rural Community Council; however it was a restrained affair.

Information was provided by AWPR and Transport Scotland officers on progress. The vast majority of earthworks has now been done. Thoughts are turning to seeding embankments, including a wildflower mix. This will help stop run-off during the winter.

During the winter months the focus will be on bridges, particularly during cold weather, rather than road construction. The contractors intend to apply to the council for seven day working.

There was much disquiet at the revelation that a contract has not yet been awarded to repair local roads affected by the AWPR. Aberdeenshire Council had promised in the spring that this was imminent. Why there has been a delay is not clear. The contract is being awarded because the amount of work was overwhelming the council.

The meeting also heard that blasting will begin next month at Charleston to allow the northbound A90 carriageway to be diverted. This diversion will allow work to start on building the new flyover.

The community council also discussed other topics including the lack of progress with the Blairs and Riverside of Blairs development. A letter is to be sent to the council.

Nineteen members of the public attended.

The next meeting is on October 17 in Lairhillock primary school.

22 September UPDATE:

Aberdeenshire Council area roads manager Philip Leiper responded regarding the AWPR local roads contract: “Following comments raised at the meeting on Monday, I can confirm that we have been in regular contact with the NKRCC on this matter. 

“On the 7th Sept we sent them an email, which contained the following: 

“Aberdeenshire Council will continue to monitor the condition of the local road network and take appropriate actions to address safety defects.

“We are still in communications with the CJV now that the tenders have been returned, and once certain financial securities are set in place, both to protect the public purse and our limited budgets, then we will be able to follow due process to award the contract and agree a suitable start date.

“I wish to clarify that Aberdeenshire Council has been working tirelessly to expedite the agreement and have a solution in place that would suit all parties involved.”

“I can advise that I attended a meeting with the CJV and representatives on the 7th September, and expressed our dismay and concerns at the lack of progress from them to come to an agreement.

“They intimated that they were progressing the issue and hoped to resolve this shortly.

“I appreciate that this will fall short of the expectations of the NKRCC, especially given the assurances I and other colleagues have been giving them, but we need to ensure we come to an amicable agreement to drive this forward.”

Parking problem at school

Parking outside schools is an issue across the country, and yesterday in Newtonhill a bus and a lorry were stuck in the middle of St Michael’s Road outside the primary as they could not physically drive through the space left by people parked fully on the road at the school side, and drivers parked half on the pavement at the houses side.

What if emergency services could not get through?

I have now been in touch with the police, Stagecoach and council officers.

Police under fire over cones decision

Police Scotland is no longer helping community groups across Aberdeenshire by setting out no-waiting cones when local events are held. 

For many years the former Grampian Police provided cones, except in Aberdeen. The new amalgamated national force continued the service, but now that the force no longer has traffic wardens, it is being phased out. The stock of cones has also been diminishing.  

Liberal Democrat councillors were alerted to this change when contacted by organisations in their wards.  

Banchory councillor Karen Clark commented: “Police Scotland is expecting the local authority to provide the cones in future as the council issues temporary no-parking orders when events are being held. The orders are fairly pointless if there are no cones put out to advise drivers.   

“I heard about this change of stance when preparations were being made for the Banchory fireworks display. 

“I understand that the police have advised Aberdeenshire and Moray councils that they will no longer be involved in the management of cones, and it is for the event organisers to liaise with the local authority’s roads department or traffic management companies to either buy or hire cones to cover the no-waiting restrictions.  

“This is just added burden for local groups … and where would all these community groups store the cones? This is not the partnership working we were all promised when Police Scotland came into being – the only way that communities can do more is with the help of police and councils and other community partners. The likes of the Banchory fireworks event raises thousands of pounds for local charities and they need the support of police and the council.” 

North Kincardine councillor Ian Mollison added: “This is affecting the Bettridge Centre in Newtonhill. When the centre holds major events the council applies temporary parking restrictions on nearby streets, for safety reasons. It can be chaos when the cones are not there, with random parking causing difficulties for residents and stopping buses getting through. 

“Police Scotland has promised to assist by providing cones where they can until the end of this year, however their stocks are quite low. 

“It does not surprise me that stocks have been falling because many cones which were previously put out in Newtonhill were thrown on to the railway embankment or nearby gardens. No doubt that happened elsewhere as well, with the people who did that thinking it was a great laugh. Well, it was not funny then, and it is not funny now. They cost more than £5 each.” 

Turriff councillor Anne Robertson has also been alerted to this problem. “I am disappointed that there is this change of Police Scotland policy locally to stop providing and placing cones where there are waiting restrictions for events. I have been advised that council officers are aware of the decision and are considering the matter. 

“In the meantime local police officers have been as helpful as they can be. 

“I am concerned this is another financial burden now facing local groups or the council. Yet again Police Scotland is dropping a baton expecting the council to pick up the bill.”

The local cost of Brexit

Leaving the EU could cost Aberdeenshire Council £11m, according to a report going to councillors on Thursday. LEADER funding could be the worst hit, with £6,121,979 set aside to facilitate community-led developments. A further £360,290 was awarded to augment Business Gateway services.

The council’s director of infrastructure services Stephen Archer says there are “questions over the deliverability of European-funded projects and programmes managed by the council”. It is item 15 on the agenda: http://committees.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/committees.aspx?commid=11&meetid=18288

Alternatively, the Press and Journal previews the meeting in this report.

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/aberdeenshire/1022187/brexit-could-cost-aberdeenshire-council-11million-in-secured-european-funding/

December opening for recycling centre

The household waste recycling centre at Badentoy is still on target to open on Thursday 8 December, on the basis that SEPA will issue an operating licence.

The temporary service that has been in place for some time at ASDA Portlethen on Saturday mornings, will continue until the new site is open. It is intended that staff will ‘meet and greet’ to direct people to ensure that materials are recycled through the various different skips. This should result in a high level of recycling, which currently runs at 57% at centres around Aberdeenshire.