Tesco seeking good causes

Tesco Newtonhill is looking for local groups to apply for its Bags of Help Fund. Amazingly, the store has been undersubscribed, so groups in Kincardineshire are being encouraged to apply.

Constituted groups, charities and not-for-profit organisations can apply for funding of between £1000 and £4000 for projects that bring benefits to the community. The on-line application can be accessed via http://bit.ly/bagsofhelp4

Eligible projects include – but are not limited to – activity in outdoor spaces; purchase of items such as sports kit, camping equipment or specialised medical equipment; improvements to community buildings; seasonal events, volunteer expenses and training.

Following a public vote in Tesco stores every two months, three projects will receive a grant with first place receiving up to £4000, second place up to £2000 and third place £1000. For further information contact 01786 849757 or email the local enabler onmailto:rita.callander@greenspacescotland.org.uk

Summer opening for AWPR

Well, I for one am not surprised that it will be later this year before the Aberdeen bypass opens. The weather hasn’t been great this winter and the collapse of Carillion won’t have helped. However maintaining for such a long time that it would open in the winter of 2017/18 wasn’t credible.
Today the Press and Journal reported that it will be this summer before the AWPR opens: https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/aberdeen/1434670/completion-long-awaited-aberdeen-bypass-delayed-summer/
 
Meantime some of our local roads continue to be badly affected. Stephen Archer, Aberdeenshire Council’s infrastructure services director, confirmed to me that the council is continuing to carry out emergency repairs to the local road network which has sustained damage as a direct result of construction traffic associated with the AWPR. He adds that unfortunately the recent winter weather may exacerbate the situation.
 
He says: “To date we have carried out more substantial repairs utilising an external contractor, mainly in the North Kincardine area of Aberdeenshire, whilst our own teams have also carried out repairs in K&M and the Formartine area.
 
“As the AWPR project is approaching the stage of works where we should now see the amount of construction traffic greatly reduce, council officers are collating the require information to address the more permanent works required to address the condition of the local road network as the project draws to a close.
 
“We are actively in communication with the Construction Joint Venture to recoup the associated costs so that we can return the network to the conditions it was in prior to the project starting.
 
“Should you notice any issues on our network then they can be reported online, or by phone, and the relevant link can be found here: http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/roads/contact-us/“

Views sought on bank closures

The Scottish Parliament’s Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Committee is conducting an inquiry into the impact of bank closures, prompted by the closure of a third of Scotland’s bank branches between 2010 and 2017.
The committee wants to hear from as many people as possible, whether community council members, business owners or individuals. More information is available as follows:
a) Impact on local businesses, consumers and the Scottish economy: http://parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/107957.aspx
b) The Call for Views (no requirement to answer every question) http://parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/107960.aspx
c) Survey of individuals and businesses
http://bit.ly/bankclosures
Locally we have of course seen the closure of the Royal Bank branch in Stonehaven and the removal of the RBS mobile branch from Portlethen.
Please email economyjobsandfairwork@parliament.scot with any queries.

Road to stay closed

Due to extensive earthworks operations, the closure on the C5K at Greens of Crynoch, Maryculter, has been extended for a further four weeks into late April.

This is to facilitate AWPR bridge construction and drainage works.

The work is now due to be completed by 22 April.

Pipeline leak on the agenda

In December the Forties oil pipeline sprung a leak at Netherley. As a result the pipeline closed down, attracting nationwide coverage in the media as it affected the UK economy … so it will be interesting to hear on Monday evening what the company which owns the oil pipeline has to North Kincardine Rural Community Council.

The community council has invited representatives from INEOS to present at the meeting. This will allow the community to understand why the leakage happened and what measures have been undertaken to ensure the area is safe.

Everyone is welcome on Monday 19 March at Lairhillock School at 7.30pm, with the ordinary meeting taking place from around 8pm. The agenda and minutes can be found at http://www.nkrcc.org.uk/minutes-page/

Faulty lights being fixed

Thirteen faulty street lights on the A90 between Stonehaven and the Bridge of Dee are to be fixed w/c 1 April in conjunction with AWPR works.

Meanwhile four lamp defects at the Newtonhill southbound junction are to be repaired on the evening of Thursday 15 March.

UPDATE, 30 March: Although someone from Bear Scotland did attend to the lights at the Newtonhill southbound junction on 15 March, they could not be fixed at that point. Bear Scotland say today they “are programmed to attend and repair remaining fault Tuesday the 3rd of April.”

Bus services being withdrawn

Not so good news. I have just heard that a number of under-performing council-supported bus services are being stopped or reduced as part of changes intended to save more than £200,000 a year.

Ten services have been either cut or reduced. to ensure the amount the council spends on bus services does not exceed the budget allocated.

It includes two local services which are being withdrawn:

Service 108 (Muchalls – Newtonhill Park & Choose); Tuesday and Thursday schooldays inter-peak return journey.

Service 103 (Cookney – Aberdeen); Monday to Friday peak return journey.

The decision has been made taking into account how often services are used. The passenger numbers for service 108 is extremely low, with an average of less than one passenger per journey. Muchalls, of course, has alternative Aberdeenshire A2B dial-a-bus services to/from both Newtonhill and Portlethen.
 
The changes will take effect from Monday, 7 May.

Championing our native species

Twenty-one councillors have volunteered to champion a range of biodiversity species, habitats and topics considered to be facing particular challenges in Aberdeenshire. My choice was to champion red squirrels (I’m the one in the photo with sunglasses!)
 
Following the success of a biodiversity champions initiative which began in 2016, the local project is similar to a national scheme which invites MSPs to champion species under threat.
 
However, the list of issues for Aberdeenshire has been widened to include habitats such as peatlands, and issues in particular need of attention including pollinators, community tree planting and control of invasive non-native species.
 
My Liberal Democrat colleague Councillor John Latham (Huntly, Strathbogie and Howe of Alford) – a former countryside ranger – is a champion for pine marten. And pine marten are thought to be one of reasons there is a resurgence of red squirrels as they catch and eat the rival grey squirrels.
 
John said in a news release: “We are supporting ongoing projects for some of our iconic species including freshwater pearl mussel, red squirrel, wildcat, pine marten and bottlenose dolphin and hope this has a positive impact in future.” 
 
These species are priorities for action within the local area and the red squirrel and wildcat are the focus of local action plans to halt their decline. 
 
Councillors will assist officers from Saving Scotland Red Squirrels and Scottish Wildcat Action in promoting the work being done to secure a home for these species in Aberdeenshire.
 
The biodiversity champions initiative is recognised in a report recently produced to chart the council’s progress in meeting its statutory duty to ‘Protect and Enhance Biodiversity’ whilst carrying out its functions. The report can be viewed online at:  http://bit.ly/2p9dKft

Assurances over school floods

Last week I sought assurances from council officers that the drains at Lairhillock School are not obstructed … the main entrance and the car park were flooded during the heavy rain. I have now received that reassurance.

The education service tells me that the drains at the school are clear and have coped in the past. Officers believe that the exceptional and severe weather conditions and the sheer volume of snowmelt and rain over a prolonged period caused this problem and that under ‘normal’ weather conditions they do not foresee this happening again.

The water approached the main entrance to the school building but did not breach it and no internal damage was done. I am told the janitor did a fantastic job shifting and organising additional sandbags. The school buses had to enter the school playground to collect pupils at the end of the school day but this was managed and controlled safely.

Dissatisfaction with bus services

A survey by Citizens Advice Scotland shows two thirds of Scots are dissatisfied with local bus services, with bus travel falling below 400 million journeys for the first time.

Passengers have expressed frustrations with the frequency and reliability of services.

The Scotland-wide figures show that:

• 64% are either dissatisfied or very dissatisfied by the frequency of scheduled services.
• 56% feel the same about the punctuality of their buses (i.e. those services that do exist are often late).
• 58% feel that their local buses offer poor value for money.
• 60% think fare information is not good enough.
• Nearly one third (32%) say the buses are not clean enough or are in poor condition.
• 46% say they are not given enough time to sit down
• 16% say there is no bus service to their local hospital or GP.

If you have a point you wish to raise with Stagecoach about their services locally, then you can buttonhole their senior managers at the Kincardine and Mearns Bus Forum on Thursday 29 March in Stonehaven Town Hall. The meeting starts at 7pm.