Recycling centre review later this year

Will the hours of the recycling centre at Badentoy be extended? That was one of the questions posed at Portlethen Community Council, when discussing whether it should open for more than five days a week, and perhaps even open one evening a week.

I took this up with council officers, and I was told that they will assess the situation once the household waste and recycling centre (HWRC) has been open for a year.

“Towards the autumn time as we approach the anniversary of the opening last December, we will need to consider whether the current pattern of five days of opening continues or whether we introduce a seven day opening, as is currently in place for all of our larger HWRCs.

“We will be looking to make recommendations for future opening at Portlethen and across all our HWRCs around late summer/autumn as part of the Aberdeenshire-wide HWRC strategy that we are currently developing.

“Our HWRC Strategy will look at opening hours/days as well as materials that are accepted, tonnage of waste handled at sites, site layout and other issues such as acceptance of trade waste. As part of this we will also consider evening opening and the need to balance constricting budgets with customer demand.

“The opening pattern at Portlethen is allowing us to try something different and gather information that we can use in making recommendations for the HWRC service across the Shire and therefore in the meantime will not looking to make any changes or introduce evening opening.”

Officers assure me they will welcome feedback from the community council about the local HWRC, including the facility layout, the materials recycled, the staff and the current opening pattern at the site, for example.

It was emphasised though that it is important to highlight that as part of the strategy the aim is to introduce more consistency across the council’s sites to provide the same level of service to customers across Aberdeenshire wherever possible, whilst working within ever tighter financial constraints.

Litter disgrace

When I was walking alongside the A90 from the Newtonhill flyover to Bridge Croft Garage I was taken aback by the amount of litter along the verge. Mainly plastic bottles and cans, presumably thrown from passing vehicles. It costs the council to send out squads to clear it up. What a waste of money and effort.
 
The photograph doesn’t really show the full story.
 

Reprieve for rail services

Credit where it is due. Plans to reduce CrossCountry rail services from the North East have been scrapped, following representations from Transport Minister Humza Yousaf. CrossCountry Trains had intended to cut the number of services it provided from Aberdeen from six to two. This included the service to Plymouth. They were due to be axed in December.

It’s a funny world

Yesterday when going round doors in Newtonhill during the council election campaign one chap was in conversation with me about James Clerk Maxwell, a renowned Scotsman of whom I know only a little. Well would you believe it, the One Show on BBC1 has just devoted part of the programme to him.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Clerk_Maxwell

Stushie over Greenbelt development

During the stushie after Aberdeenshire Council’s infrastructure services committee voted against Aberdeen football club’s plans for a new stadium between Westhill and Kingswells, I was asked whether Westhill was built in the greenbelt. That’s because one of the grounds councillors (including me) had for the decision was that the new stadium would be in the greenbelt.

Well, it took some digging by council officers to find out, including contacting some of the council’s most senior planners of the time. The conclusion: Westhill was not in the greenbelt when it was established.

Here is the background. It appears that “Greenbelt” was designated by the Scottish Government by regulation prior to the 1978 Aberdeen Area Structure Plan. This designation was very limited until responsibility was taken by Grampian Regional Council to “indicate a zone” which should be precisely defined by district councils in the preparation of the local plans of the early 1980s.

Westhill was already a substantial and growing community by this time with a census population of 258 in 1971 and a predicted population of more than 3000 by 1981. Planning for Westhill was not undertaken by a development plan in the period from its first consent in 1963 to the start of construction in 1967 but by an “Article 8” direction from the Scottish Ministers.

Westhill was substantially distant from the boundary of Aberdeen City (Kingswells had not been built) and was not part of any greenbelt prior to the 1981 Gordon District Local Plan. Thereafter it was built on a planned basis, by altering the greenbelt boundary (or departing from the development plan greenbelt policy) as required.

Of course the final decision on whether the football stadium goes ahead is down to Aberdeen City Council as the development is on their side of the boundary.

Pools to open longer

Aberdeenshire Council is extending the opening hours at some of its swimming pools.

From Monday 10 April, Portlethen swimming pool will open from 11am on Mondays.

From Friday 14 April, Huntly swimming pool will open from 9am on Fridays.

And from Saturday 15 April, Inverurie swimming centre will remain open until 6.30pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

Opening hours for all the leisure centres are available on the council’s website and at the sites where they will also be publicising these extended hours.