Council adopts local streets

Four streets in Marywell have now been adopted by Aberdeenshire Council. They are Bothiebrigs Drive, Checkbar Gardens, Checkbar Way, and Wellington Drive.

These roads have been satisfactorily completed in accordance with a construction consent, granted in accordance with the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984. As such, as roads authority, Aberdeenshire Council, is required under the Act to add the above roads to its Statutory List of Public Roads.

This means the council is responsible for maintenance and repair of the four streets.

Stagecoach axes bus service

Stagecoach has announced it will withdraw the 13:05 204 bus service which runs from Aberdeen to Banchory/Strachan via the South Deeside Road on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

The next alternative journey is 17:20 hours from Aberdeen to Strachan, which runs Monday to Friday.

Information supplied by the operator indicates an average passenger demand of fewer than two passengers per journey.

The implementation date will be 7 May.

Changes to business rates

New business rates changes are introduced today which the Scottish Government hope will help stimulate the economy.
There will be no rates for unoccupied new properties and tenants who take them on will be rates-free for the first year. If improvements are made to a property then no additional rates will be paid as a result of the improvement for 12 months. Eligible childcare day nurseries will also receive up to 100% relief, which ministers say is designed to support nursery provision throughout Scotland by reducing overheads for nursery owners, saving the sector around £6m next year.
Meanwhile Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham has invited her counterparts from across the UK to a summit aimed at exploring the best way to introduce a bottle deposit return scheme. She said there are areas where working together is likely to deliver “greater benefits” UK-wide.
The UK Government announced a consultation on its own version earlier this week, and the Scottish Government is keen to share its knowledge on the matter, having apparently been planning a scheme for the past six months.
I saw such a scheme in action in Norway recently. Less litter too.

Portlethen gala goes ahead

Good news from Portlethen Community Council secretary Mike Lloyd Wiggins today about the town’s gala.
He says: “Just a quick update to let people know that the Portlethen Gala 2018 will be going ahead. We had a good meeting and enough people came forward to help. So onward and upward. The next meeting will be posted shortly so we can start organising things in detail. Many thanks to everyone who stepped forward to help out.”
It was a close call for the gala as without the new volunteers it would not have been taking place.

Village shop closed

Newtonhill’s Village Store is closed today … apparently it has ceased trading.

The shop has been at the heart of the community since opening in 1912, but has struggled in recent years in face of competition.

I wonder what lies ahead for the shop. Scotmid Co-operative leases the shop to tenants – of whom there have been a fair few.

Bus passengers air their concerns

About 40 people attended tonight’s Kincardine and Mearns Bus Forum in Stonehaven. Senior managers from Stagecoach were present.

A wide variety of topics were aired:

– Concerns over the suitability of the X7 coaches (lack of bells, difficult steps, too few seats for disabled passengers), but we are stuck with what we have apparently. Two Portlethen residents voiced their objections, including difficulties with shopping/luggage.

– Complaints that Aberdeen services not serve Laurencekirk.

– A number of poorly-used services will no longer run from May 7, including Muchalls to the park and choose, and Cookney to Bridge of Dee.

– Why are there no competitors to Stagecoach? The answer is that any suitably qualified operator (i.e. has a PSV operator’s licence) can decide to provide a local bus service on a commercial basis.

– An A2B dial-a-bus service is being introduced in Portlethen on Wednesdays.

– Concerns were also voiced about the services around the Saints in Newtonhill and the time it takes for a 7B to travel between Newtonhill and Aberdeen (about an hour) via Portlethen and Marywell.

– Why does the last bus from Stonehaven into Portlethen leave at 8.52pm? This being to be considered by Stagecoach when the next timetable is reviewed.

– Points were made about the frequency of services via the Aberdeen South industrial estate at Hillside.

– I asked when the next revision of the timetable would take place. However there was no definitive answer.

The meeting almost finished on time. However the acoustics in the town hall were poor so perhaps the audience had run out of steam! The next meeting will be in the autumn.

Road closes again

The C12K country road is to close for a further five days while Diona Construction carries out more road crossings on behalf of BT.
This time the work is nearer to Bridge of Muchalls, and follows on from similar work to the west.
The first closure will commence on Monday 9 April for five days. The second closure will begin on Monday 16 April, also for five days.
Emergency and pedestrian access is to be maintained. Vehicular access to affected properties should be maintained whenever possible.

Plea for pots

North Kincardine Rural Community Council and The South Deeside View are looking for donations of plants and plant pots for their sale and coffee morning to be held in Corbie Hall, Maryculter, on Saturday 19 May.

Proceeds from the sale will go to Maryculter Driving for the Disabled and Mucky Boots Nature Kindergarten.

Call Rob on 01569 730308 if you have pots which are 3.5ins or 4ins, and 10 or 20 litre sizes.

Hard-hitting road safety show seeks sponsors

A long-running road safety show aimed at young people is looking for sponsors to help it continue in 2018.

Safe Drive Stay Alive has been attended by all senior school pupils in the North-east for 13 years.

The hard-hitting stage show features real life testimony from the emergency services who regularly deal with road collisions and from members of the public whose lives have been affected by road collisions in an extreme and profound way.

I have attended the show and it leaves a lasting impression.

Nexen Petroleum UK is the only confirmed sponsor of the 2018 show. Managing director Ray Riddoch said: “Safe Drive Stay Alive doesn’t pull any punches. The real-life testimonies of those affected is a moving and powerful way to drive home the importance of Safety First on our roads. We would wholeheartedly encourage more local businesses to get involved.”

This year’s show in November will see another 5,000 pupils from Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray attend in the city. A free evening show for the public is also held.

Safe Drive Stay Alive Grampian is a partnership between Aberdeenshire Council, Aberdeen City Council, Moray Council, Police Scotland, Scottish Ambulance Service, NHS Grampian and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

For information about sponsoring Safe Drive Stay Alive or to have a conversation about how to contribute, email sdsa@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

New A2B bus service for Portlethen

An A2B dial-a-bus service is starting in Portlethen one day per week using an Aberdeenshire Council minibus.

The vehicle, which is wheelchair-accessible, is used at peak times to take clients to daycare services at Forest View in Stonehaven. The council will operate it as an A2B dial-a-bus on Wednesdays between 9:45am and 2:45pm providing a door-to-door service taking passengers from their homes to local shops, appointments or to mainline bus stops to connect onto other bus services.

A2B is free and open to:-

• People who have difficulty walking
• People with other disabilities and
• Residents who don’t live near a regular bus route

It is proposed to start this service on a trial basis from Wednesday 11 April. All A2B trips must be booked in advance by phone. Bookings can be made from 4 April. To use the service you must be registered as an A2B member. If you think the council can help call 01467 535333 and choose Option 3 for general enquiries.

The service will be publicised through places such as the library, Portlethen Community Ambulance, and the medical centre.

The new service will serve the built-up area of Portlethen town, and will be in addition to two existing A2B services which link rural communities with Portlethen – see photograph.