Last call for recycling comments

Tomorrow is the last day for Aberdeenshire residents to give their views on how the council can shape recycling and waste services so that less goes to landfill.
There have already been more than 2,800 responses to a survey asking the public for opinions on how Aberdeenshire can recycle more as a community. The survey closes tomorrow (28 February).
Responses will inform recommendations by the recycling and waste service to be presented to councillors.
Residents are asked how services could be improved to help them to recycle more. Possible changes could include smaller landfill waste bins, less frequent collections of the landfill waste bin, or both.
Garden waste is currently collected at recycling centres and at additional seasonal recycling points. Residents are asked to consider whether alternative arrangements would help them recycle more garden waste.
This could be a paid-for kerbside collection or reduced frequency of landfill bin collections to allow garden waste to be lifted from households using the same bin lorries.
It is thought the cost of a paid-for garden waste collection could be in the region of £40-£50 per household per year.
Currently the council provides alternate weekly collections of mixed dry recycling and landfill waste, with food waste collected for recycling every week.
A network of recycling centres, glass and textile recycling points and seasonal garden waste points is also available to help residents recycle as much as possible.
Despite the availability of these services, Aberdeenshire’s recycling rate is only 43.5%. However, a recent analysis of landfill bins from households across the region shows the recycling rate could be more than 70% if the current recycling services were used effectively.
To take part in the online survey see: http://bit.ly/AbshireRecyclingSurvey
Hard copies can also be completed at libraries and service points.

Update on AWPR progress

An interesting briefing in the Aberdeen Town House for parliamentarians and councillors this afternoon about the Aberdeen bypass. The end is in sight, but as to when that will be …

The joint venture building the road say they are now laying the top surface, 35mm of tar on a base including concrete. However the temperature needs to above 3C to 5C to do that. Thicker tar, such as on side roads, can be laid in temperatures as low as zero, apparently.

That’s why there is such hesitancy about saying how long it will take to finish the road and open it to traffic. It all depends on the weather. And the cold blast heading our way from Siberia does not help.

In the meanwhile other works are progressing, such as the planting of 1.8 million trees and installing street lights where required.

Currently there is a workforce of about 1600, down from the peak for roughly 2500. It is currently the longest road building project in the UK.

Once it opens the new road will become the A90 and the existing road will be the A92. Responsibility for the current A90 from Charleston to Blackdog will transfer in due course from Transport Scotland to Aberdeen City Council. The Stonehaven to Charleston road will remain a trunk road (i.e. Transport Scotland).

I also raised two local issues – the hammering taken by our country roads from AWPR traffic and pollution of our burns and streams. Agreement has still to be finalised with the councils over repairs to the country roads. In the meantime Aberdeenshire Council is trying to keep these roads safe. They are certainly not in the state anyone would want them to be. Regarding pollution, the contractors are confident that they have resolved that issue. They work closely with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

Finally, their safety record has overall been good, with one million man hours (that’s how it was described) completed without an injury accident. However last week there was a minor accident which is still be investigated.

By the way, we heard from a former transport minister that it was in 2003 that the project was announced by the then first minister. Fifteen years later it will be a reality.

Grants available

The Aberdeenshire Council Excel Fund supports individuals or groups to develop skills, or to take part at national or international sporting or cultural events such as dance competitions, sports events and training.

A total fund of £12,000 is available in 2018/19, with awards to individuals to a maximum amount of £500, and awards to groups up to a maximum of £1,000. First round deadline is 23 March.

There is more information at http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/leisure-sport-and-culture/capacity-grants/capacity-grants-excel-fund/

Boost for ambulance

Portlethen and District Community Ambulance Association’s application to the Tesco Bags of Help Grant Scheme in Newtonhill has been successful.

The project will be put forward to a customer vote during March and April 2018.

They will be one of three groups who have reached this stage as they push to raise funds for a new ambulance. The more people who vote the bigger the grant they shall receive.

Country road to close for 20 days

Owing to BT replacing a telegraph pole it will be necessary in the interests of public safety to close the C25K country road near Cookney on Monday 19 March.

The following day, as AWPR contractors will be removing a temporary barrier and verge, and carrying out carriageway tie-in works, it will be necessary in the interests of public safety to close the C25K country road at North Cookney for 15 days.

This closure will be commencing on Tuesday 20 March.

In both cases emergency and pedestrian access to be maintained. Vehicular access to affected properties to be maintained whenever possible.

More Bookbug sessions

Good news about Bookbug sessions in the Portlethen and Newtonhill library network.

Librarian Carol Mitchell tells me there will be even more sessions, once a new member of staff is trained up.

Carol is a huge advocate of the Bookbug sessions: from two weekly at present in Portlethen up to three weekly when a new rota starts on 5 March and then four weekly when her new colleague is Bookbug-trained in April. The new rota will see the library offer a new weekly Saturday session, which she hopes is an opportunity for working mums and dads to participate for maybe the first time.

Come April – coupled with two weekly Bookbug sessions at Newtonhill Library – this will bring the total number of Bookbug sessions being delivered in the network to six per week.

I know how valued these sessions are to parents – and their children

Minor injury units being reviewed

Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership is reviewing the minor injury units across the county.
As part of this process there will be public information events held in each town that has a unit. The local event will take place in Stonehaven Community Centre in Bath Street on 14 March from 2pm to 4pm and from 6pm to 7.30pm.
 
More details can be found on the AHSCP Facebook page and   https://www.facebook.com/events/1849823285316020/

Primary to be inspected

Hillside Primary School and nursery class are to be inspected during the week beginning 12 March by Education Scotland and the Care Inspectorate.

More information for parents/carers, staff and pupils will follow from the school, including invitations to take part in an online survey prior to the inspection.

Concerns over light pollution

I have asked council officers to investigate light pollution coming from the Badentoy industrial estate area in Portlethen.

A local resident ask me if new developments had planning conditions added to reduce the light pollution caused by street or business lighting.

The concern was with Badentoy and in particular the new Badentoy North part. A resident told me that all the lighting is high intensity LED white light. The concern was the towering plume of white light up into the night sky. It can be seen for miles, from Denside of Durris and Catterline.

Spotlight on Newtonhill area

Some key points from last night’s Newtonhill, Muchalls and Cammachmore Community Council meeting:
– Stagecoach North Scotland managing director Mark Whitelocks will attend the next meeting in the Skateraw Hall on Wednesday 21 March. Local residents will be invited to put their questions to Mr Whitelocks about the company’s bus services.
– A masterplan for the proposed Barratt development to the south of Park Place will be discussed by the Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee on Tuesday. The masterplan and the planners’ report can be found by following this link and scrolling down to Item 7E on the agenda: http://committees.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/committees.aspx?commid=8&meetid=18838
– The community council, the village association and Aberdeenshire Council have been working together to provide new play equipment costing £51,000 in Newtonhill Park. This will be for toddlers and primary children. Newtonhill residents will be asked for their views, possibly via a leaflet delivered with the next Newsey.
– The middle tree beside the tennis courts and a number of other mature trees to the south of Newtonhill park are to be felled after discussions between the community council and Aberdeenshire Council.
– Scottish Water is to allow pedestrian access again after the padlocking of a gate across its access track prompted opposition in Muchalls. The track leads to a pumping station near the Pheppie Burn.
– The community council agreed to give a £200 donation towards the replacement of the Portlethen and District Community Ambulance Association’s four-year-old vehicle. The association has been providing a minibus for 35 years. The group will be one of the good causes for donations at Tesco later this year.
– More trees are to be planted in the Coastal Park.
– Muchalls community councillor Moira Cameron has stepped down. A volunteer to take her place would be welcome.