I have been told by Adsa that three local groups have benefited from the Green Tokens at the Portlethen store. Fishermoss PSA won the customer vote and was awarded £500. The two runners-up – Newtonhill Boys Club 2010 and Mearns Pres-School Group both received £250. The awards are made quarterly.
If you wish to nominate a project, contact the store manager or community champion.
Two topics dominated tonight’s meeting of Newtonhill, Muchalls and Cammachmore Community Council – the recent incident in Newtonhill Road involving young people and planning issues.
Unfortunately police officers were not able to attend the Skateraw Hall meeting to reassure local people about the assault on a 17-year-old on 12 May. Seven male youths have since been charged. However we did hear from a resident who was at the scene and called 999. The new local police inspector is being invited to attend a community council meeting.
Police Scotland issued a statement saying: “We can confirm that a total of seven male youths have now been charged in relation to an assault on a 17 year old male in the Newtonhill Road area of Newtonhill on Friday, 12 May, at around 11.40pm. Two 17 year olds have been charged, three 16 year olds have been charged and 2 15 year olds have been charged. They will be reported to the relevant authorities.
“Sergeant Kevin Macdonald of the Divisional Alcohol Violence Reduction Unit said: ‘Seven males have now been charged in relation to this disturbance. This was an isolated incident following a house party attended by a large number of local teenagers.’ ”
The community council also discussed other topics.
The children’s play park in Newtonhill Park is to see new equipment being provided. Aberdeenshire Council, the community council and the village association are working together and plans are being drawn up. Some equipment has already been removed for safety reasons.
Barratts had written to the community council to say that a drilling rig will be working at the site on the moor as they prepare to lodge a planning application for housing.
An Aberdeenshire Council officer is to attend a community council meeting later this year to discuss a refresh of the Local Development Plan. This will focus on the needs of this area.
The Muchalls/Park & Choose bus service will be withdrawn by Aberdeenshire Council from 17 July due to a lack of usage – averaging at fewer than one passenger per journey. An A2B dial-a-bus will continue to provide a Monday inter-peak service between Muchalls and Portlethen.
There was also a suggestion that as well as St Michael’s Road/St Ternan’s Road being made one way, the bus route from Skateraw Road west up Hillhead Road be made one way, both in the interests of road safety. However these proposals did not receive backing from the community council.
Newtonhill primary school isn’t at capacity, though the meeting heard that this is a common perception. It has a maximum capacity of 415 pupils, and last year the roll stood at 315, rising to 340 this year, 375 next year and 398 in 2019. In 2020 it may rise to 427. These projections depend on many factors, including how quickly Chapelton expands. The new community has fewer young children than expected.
The planning discussion centred on applications in the east Cammachmore area, focusing on the processes involved.
Three Aberdeenshire councillors were present plus one member of the public.
Aberdeenshire’s summer road improvement programme is now underway. This will include stretches of the South Deeside Road west of Maryculter in due course (no dates yet).
Most motorists are aware of the potential risks posed by loose chippings, which are minimised at lower speeds. As a result, the speed limit through surface dressing works is now a mandatory, rather than advisory, 20mph limit. That means travelling in excess of that could result in prosecution.
Why surface dressing? It is used as an effective and cost-efficient way to further the lifespan of roads and improve the quality of damaged carriageway. Laying hot bitumen followed by chippings seals the road surface and provides better grip.
More information on temporary road closures and restrictions in Aberdeenshire can be found at: http://online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/apps/roadclosures/
A team from the AWPR took part in an hour-long present and question-and-answer session at last night’s meeting of North Kincardine Rural Community Council.
Among the many issues raised was a 14-week closure of the U13K road linking Portlethen and Lairhillock while a bridge over the AWPR is linked into the road network near Rothnick. Diversions will use local roads – which residents feel are totally unsuitable. The AWPR representatives were asked why 14 weeks, and were told they were hopeful it would be quicker than that. It would depend on the weather, and utility contractors.
A recent incident was highlighted when emergency services were called to a woman adjacent to the AWPR at Cookney, but could not identify Cookney. Residents were told that the AWPR’s 0800 058 8350 can be called 24 hours a day in such circumstances.
Among other complaints were dust from the project, potholes, the opening date (during the winter of 2017/18), traffic management at Stonehaven (one lane southbound), and new local roads (land no longer required will be disposed of). The community council agreed to ask Aberdeenshire Council to send a roads service officer to the next such presentation.
After the AWPR part of the meeting about two dozen residents left, leaving some 14 others as well as local councillors to hear the remainder of the community council meeting in the Lairhillock primary school.
Rod Farquhar is the community council’s new planning officer. He ran through the latest applications, none of which caused concern.
Overgrowing hedges along the South Deeside Road, particularly in the Ardoe area, are to be reported to the council.
The community council is to donate £100 for medals and cups for the Invercrynoch Cup at Lairhillock, and £125 towards the cost of a portable PA system at the Corbie Hall.
No action is to be taken over Aberdeenshire Council’s decision not to proceed with an extension to Banchory Devenick cemetery.
Some concerns were voiced over Aberdeenshire Council’s proposals for new constitutions for all community councils.
Complaints are to be relayed to Aberdeenshire Council over the lack of forewarning about the closure of Duffshill Road for four weeks while road works take place at the new Arnold Clark depot. Many residents did not know this was happening.
The plaque marking the reopening of Portlethen railway station on 17 May 1985 has been removed. It was on this granite plinth until now.
Scotrail staff have unscrewed the plaque as the lettering had become faded. Apparently the station failed a recent inspection as a result.
I have asked Scotrail for assurances that the plaque will be returned once it has been fixed.
Owing to work to connect two drainage sewers, Badentoy Crescent in Portlethen industrial estate is to be closed from the entrance at WM Nicoll to the entrance to Ramco pipe yard. This take place from Monday 22 May and lasts for 14 days.
Council officers say emergency and pedestrian access is to be maintained. Vehicular access to affected properties is to be maintained whenever possible.
Maryculter Driving for the Disabled beat off some very stiff competition at the Kincardineshire Development Partnership’s Community Cash event in Cookney Hall last night to win the £300 micro-grant.
I have had a response from Stagecoach about the non-appearance of the 11.07am bus in Newtonhill yesterday.
David Buick, the assistant operations manager, writes: “I am sorry to hear of the inconvenience caused to local residents in Newtonhill on 10th May, unfortunately the vehicle operating the service was involved in a minor accident but did cause one of the windows to break, this obviously meant the vehicle could not continue in service.
“To resolve the situation another vehicle was dispatched as soon as was practicable given that this also required another driver who could take the spare vehicle out and we also need to consider who we can send to this because we must ensure that they have had all legal breaks and that the additional journey will not impact on their legal driving time for the day, so you will understand it is not a 5 minute fix.
“Obviously we do our very best to resolve every situation as fast as possible but with the majority of services being rural and with the ongoing delays on the A90 it is an additional factor in our response times.
“We are aware of the critical times at present for exams and do have additional resources at the peak times to assist with school journeys especially for those sitting exams, the last thing we want to do is add additional stress to them, also not forgetting those who were waiting as described by yourself, I know myself how frustrating it is to wait for a bus that never seems to be coming. We do update our service disruptions on Traveline and Twitter and passengers who have the ‘app’ can get live updates but I also understand this is not always great for some of the older generation.
“I hope you find this explanation acceptable and that that you can pass on our sincere apologies to the local residents who were affected by this unforeseen incident.”
Some interesting information about our population. I’m told that in June 2016 Scotland’s population is estimated to have risen to 5,404,700. This was an increase of 31,700 (0.6%) on the previous year and is Scotland’s highest-ever recorded population.
Aberdeenshire’s population is estimated to have reached 262,190 in June 2016, an increase of 230 people (0.09%) over the year. Its population growth is due to positive natural change outweighing negative net migration, a unique position amongst Scottish local authorities this year.
Although Aberdeenshire’s growth rate was positive between 2015 and 2016, it has been declining for the last three years, moving from 1.1% between 2013 and 2014 to 0.5% between 2014 and 2015, and now to 0.09%.
Over a 10-year period, Aberdeenshire’s population grew by 8.7%, the fifth highest population growth rate of all Scottish local authorities, and Aberdeen’s by 9.6%, the fourth highest growth rate. Lastly, the city’s population fell to 229,840 in 2016, a decrease of 510 people (0.22%).
The statistics come from a National Records of Scotland report.