Builders plan ahead

I am told that Stewart Milne Homes have had building warrants approved by Aberdeenshire Council for the erection of 30 residential dwellings and all associated site works, infrastructure and services. This is described as Phase AF3, Schoolhill, Portlethen. The value of works is £2,170,000.

Building warrants can be obtained irrespective of whether planning permission has been granted or not.

Speed restrictions ahead

Early warning of speed restrictions locally. From Tuesday 18 April there will be a 30mph speed limit on the B9077 South Deeside Road near the B979 Netherley Road for four days while BT staff work in carriageway manholes. Then from Monday 24 April for five days there will be a 30mph speed limit on the Netherley Road, for the same reason.

Too few women are councillors

I have just read in a briefing that 23.9% of Scotland’s councillors are women, the lowest percentage of any nation in the UK. In England the figure is 32%, Wales 28% and Northern Ireland 25.1%. Considering more than half of the population are women, that is not acceptable.

In the elections on 4 May the Liberal Democrats have 10 women and nine men standing in Aberdeenshire Council’s 19 wards.

The campaign group Women 5050 calculates that 30% (775) of the candidates standing for election to Scotland’s 32 councils are women.

Candidate attacks all local councillors

An astonishing attack on current and past councillors in a leaflet I received today, particularly regarding Conservative Councillor Carl Nelson who has served this area for some 25 years.

The leaflet says that “the North Kincardine area takes in the country settlements of Blairs, Banchory Devenick, Cookney, Maryculter, Muchalls and Netherley and it is over 30 years since they have had representation by a councillor who knows where these localities are.”

Well, I can’t speak for other councillors, but I certainly know where these places are, and have been to many homes and farms in each locality.

I suppose it’s part and parcel of political knockabout, to have a pop at your opponents.

So what really surprises me is that the attack includes Carl Nelson. Carl is the only one of the current four councillors to have represented this area for nearly that length of time (though the boundaries have varied from time to time). I know without doubt that Carl has been to all of these places over the years. I have seen him at Blairs College, at Cookney War Memorial, in the Corbie Hall at Maryculter, in Lairhillock primary school in Netherley, and in Muchalls … where he lives and goes to church.

And why does this surprise me? Because it comes from the new Conservative candidate.

Jings.

Wind power record

I hear that wind energy output in Scotland during March provided 1,240,095MWh of electricity to the National Grid, an increase of 81% on March 2016 and a record high for the month. The power generated was the equivalent of 58% of Scotland’s entire electricity needs.

With so many turbines locally, it is good to know they are effective.

But why are electricity bills going up by so much?

Update on school buses saga

I have had an update on the Newtonhill/Portlethen Academy school bus saga from council officers in the public transport unit. Problems have included buses not having the correct service number on display, punctuality, and pupils being left behind.
Officers tell me that they had a meeting with Stagecoach management regarding the ongoing issues.
“It has been agreed that the destination screens of the vehicles will show Portlethen Academy on the top line of the screen with the relevant contract number (SS865A/B/G) on the bottom line of the screen. The service number will be depicted as either 70A, 70B or 70G. The side destination screen will show Portlethen Academy and the relevant service number whilst an A4 poster attached to the nearside window beside the entrance door will display the relevant contract number. I have confirmation that the destination screen software has been amended to take this into consideration and the data is being downloaded to all vehicles.
“Whilst the pupils are expected to board the correct bus at the correct stop, it is difficult to enforce this as I have personally observed pupils going to the shop to buy their snacks/juice etc and then boarding all 3 buses at the first stop at Skateraw Road. With this in mind, all 3 buses will serve all bus stops and whilst every effort will be made to ensure that the pupils board the correct bus, no pupil will be refused entry unless it causes a capacity issue but with all 3 buses leaving each stop at the same time, no pupil should be left behind. Numbers of pupils boarding the incorrect bus will be reported directly to me.
“Regarding the issue of late buses, the appropriate action has been taken in accordance with the Council’s Contract Performance Management System.
“I have been given an assurance that communication between Stagecoach, the school and the PTU will be improved upon and that the situation will be very closely monitored by both Stagecoach and the PTU.”
I do hope that everything gets sorted out!

Quiz raises more funds for Christmas lights

Well, that was a good evening in the Skateraw Hall. The annual April Fools quiz raises funds for the Christmas lights in the village. A number of the village’s 35 sets need repaired or replaced, and they can cost up to £300 for a new set.

Last year’s winners, the Muchalls Village Idiots, set the questions, with the Buddies coming out on top for an eighth time. Coupled with St Mirren winning 6-2 today, a good evening for us Buddies!

I should add there was a toast in honour of Scott Annand at the start of the evening. He was a key figure in the Christmas lights and the quiz. I think he would have been very happy with tonight.

Reassurances over cliff landslip

I had asked council officers to check the latest landslip above Newtonhill Beach, in case it was threatening the footpath from the Braehead. Here is what council officers have to say: “We have now inspected the slip and note that there has been some minor surface spalling of material over part of the top of the slip. This is most likely due to the effects of rainfall and the steepness of the slope.

“However, there is nothing at present that we would be concerned with in respect of the stability of the path. There is no evidence of cracking or movement on the path. It would be worth cleaning off any overhanging material at the top, to make the slip more visible to anyone who steps off the path, as there is evidence of people walking on the seaward side, presumably to avoid using the steps. Other than that, we do not see any immediate action being required by the council and we will re-visit in 3 months, to check for any visible changes from now.

“As you rightly point out – there has also been rubbish (but not garden vegetation) dumped on slope which is unfortunate. From a safety point of view, there is a very slight overhang but the edge of the slip is very close to the path and we can discuss with Landscape Services the practicality of installing a post and wire fence at this section (approximately 10m length) and this would be as an alternative to ‘cleaning off’ the overhanging material, as described above. Either way, we will look to address this issue and re-visit in 3 months to monitor.”

The reference to rubbish has now been overtaken by events. Some kind – and brave – person has removed the old chair and various other items that had landed there.

Makeover for mill path

Aberdeenshire Council has upgraded the right of way from Newtonhill to the Elsick Mill (and onwards to Cammachmore). It was muddy underfoot and the tree canopy made it a gloomy place. The path is also used by some children to go to Newtonhill primary school, and it is part of the core path network. The photograph is from Newtonhill Village Association. The council is doing us proud.

AWPR working hours extended

Now that the better weather is here, the AWPR contractors are aiming to work seven days a week from 7am to 7pm. However the contractors have assured local residents that they “will only work additional hours at the weekend in areas where this is required.” This arrangement will be in force until 23 December, including public holidays.

Many local people have received a letter with these details.

Given the history of the project, and residents’ understandable concerns previously about seven-day working, I contact the council’s environmental health department.

I have received some assurances today, and was told that the agreement is to undertake “quieter structural and surfacing” works, on the understanding that the disturbance will be low.

That should mean “little or no perceptible noise above background levels at receptor, manual activities, limited plant and/or are continuous for 10 minutes in every hour”.

I was advised that the types of work now being undertaken differ from the opening phases of the works, which involved blasting operations and extensive earthworks – inherently noisy operations. It is possible now to proceed with less obtrusive works, granted that some work, concrete structure demolition and piling operations for instance, are inherently noisy.

Finally, I was told that the terms of the agreement contain a clause that states “Aberdeenshire Council reserves the right to revoke this agreement in the event of justified complaint being received.”