Help and advice for carers

Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership has launched a new information pack for carers.
Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership’s integration joint board chairwoman Councillor Anne Stirling said: “The pack contains information that carers and professionals told us they would find useful to have in one place. The pack is easy to read and informative, and will be updated on a regular basis. It is available to the public on the Aberdeenshire Council and NHS Grampian websites.”
This ties in with the national Carers Week (12 – 18 June), which seeks to raise awareness of unpaid carers.

Area councillors focus on local issues

Today we had the first meeting of the Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee since the council elections. Here are some highlights.

A motion was passed expressing support for the work of Pillar and asking for a report at the next meeting from the integrated joint board for health and social care about the extent of mental health provision available locally, including reference to Pillar’s situation.

We agreed a grant of £1875 towards the cost of a visitor survey at Stonehaven open air pool to help attract more customers.

Chief Inspector Murray Main presented a report comparing crime statistics for the past year with those from 2015/16. In the North Kincardine ward, there were 10 fewer assaults (53). 38 fewer disorder complaints (106), 10 more incidents of vandalism (35), 14 fewer house break-ins (including attempted break-ins) at 15, and five more sexual crimes (25).

The £16.5m Stonehaven flood prevention scheme will now go out to tender. It is hoped the start date will be spring 2018, taking two years to complete.

The new chairwoman of the area committee is Councillor Wendy Agnew from Stonehaven.

The agenda and reports can be found at http://committees.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/committees.aspx?commid=8&meetid=18619

Cliff fence to be renewed

A wooden fence on the path connecting Anderson Drive with the Coastal Park in Newtonhill is to be replaced.

The fence was erected by Aberdeenshire Council many years ago to discourage people – particularly youngsters – from going too close to the cliff edge. As the fence is in a state of disrepair council officers have agreed to replace it with a stock post and wire mesh fence in due course.

Update on delayed Causey Mounth works

Here is an update on the work planned on the Causey Mounth opposite the new Hillside primary school.

The road is a bit of a mess, and there should have been work under way by now to bring it up to standard. But that has had to be postponed because work on Duffshill Road is running late. To have both scheme at the same time would lock in residents, so that’s not possible.

One of the tasks to be tackled near the school is the grounding of the overhead electricity line, and SSE has rescheduled the work for late August / early September.

Meanwhile Aberdeenshire Council will seek a separate tender for the Causey Mounth upgrading works from specialist contractors. The aim is to have the road works take place in October which would include the school holiday period. It is anticipated all works associated with the school will be completed by mid-November.

Council officers assure me that neither the delay nor actual road works will adversely affect the operation of the school. They will ensure that the school has access to the all-weather pitch for sports day and that restriction to accessing the all-weather pitch will be kept to an absolute minimum during the road upgrading works.

The school’s management are aware that all crossings of the Causey Mounth by pupils post completion of construction works requires supervision by teaching staff.

Good news over parking markings

The disabled parking bay markings in the Coastal Park car park in Newtonhill are to be renewed shortly by Aberdeenshire Council.

The lines have become faded with the passage of time and unfortunately sometimes are not noticed by drivers.

The parking bays serve the village library as well as the bowling club, the Bettridge Centre and the park in general.

I had asked council officers to renew the markings. Landscape Services hope to complete the work this month.

Speed limit stays for six more months

The current 30mph speed restriction in place on the B9077 South Deeside Road and the B979 Maryculter Bridge has been extended for a further nine months.

It was due to expire this evening at 11:59.

The restriction is in place due to work on building the Aberdeen western peripheral route, and in particular a bridge over the Dee.

Reprieve for local bus services

Plans to withdraw a number of local bus services due to budget pressures have been dropped by Aberdeenshire Council.

Two of the services due to end on 17 July were the 103 Cookney to/from Bridge of Dee and the 108 Muchalls to/from Chapelton Park and Choose.

The 103 which leaves Cookney at 7.20am and returns from Bridge of Dee at 5.45pm has on average of fewer than two passengers per journey. That service will continue until at least the end of the current financial year.

The 108 will be retained on Tuesdays and Thursdays, again until at least the end of the financial year, however the Friday service will no longer operate from w/c 17 July. Passenger figures show no-one uses the services on Fridays.

Road closure work takes longer

I have been told by the council’s roads service that “due to operational reasons outwith our control, the closure of Duffshill Road (the U58K) has been extended until Tuesday 13th June.”

Leiths (Scotland) Ltd are carrying out duct crossings, installation of water main, kerb realignments and carriageway surfacing.