Any budding entrepreneurs needing help?

Do you know someone who would benefit from tapping into an entrepreneurial ecosystem and an entirely different level of education as the next Skyscanner or Uber?
If so, Enterprise North East Trust has the programme for them. Those selected can expect a special experience. They will come to its Elevator Centre for Entrepreneurship at Bridge of Don for 12 weeks. They will be immersed in a level of education that will set them and their business up to build a global brand, meeting entrepreneurs and mentors, and taking a completely different approach to identifying their business model and their market place.
Applicants have everything to gain – it will cost them nothing other than their time, and have literally nothing to lose.
Please help us to urge these people to join the entrepreneurial elite, The application closing date is Friday 13 January (midnight).

What does the budget mean for us?

What will the Scottish Government’s budget mean for our council services? Not good news, as the full implications of the cuts they have imposed are emerging..
Councillors are looking at the figures for Aberdeenshire and far from getting any extra funding from the Scottish Government, we are facing a 3.4% cut to our General Revenue Funding and a 4.9% reduction in non-domestic rate income, a total cut for the coming year of £15.4m.
Aberdeenshire Council’s General Revenue Funding is being cut from £311.601m to £300.970m, and the non-domestic rates cut by 4.9% from £98.451m to £93.671m.
The additional income generated by the Scottish Government’s re-banding of council tax will now off-set some of this cut but local council tax revenue cannot be described as Scottish Government funding; nor is it yet clear whether we will be restricted over the way we can use the extra income by the imposed increase on homes in band E and above.
After campaigning for decades to get tax-raising powers for Scotland, the SNP has not used those powers. Instead the Scottish Government has increased council tax, a purely local levy and tinkered with top band of income tax.
Almost all of the additional £800m the Scottish Government has committed to the Scottish budget comes directly from Westminster, through Barnett consequentials or increased capital borrowing.
The Liberal Democrats will be working with our colleagues in the Aberdeenshire Alliance to finalise a fair, proportionate and balanced budget for the council but now that the smoke is clearing in Holyrood, the extent of the SNP-imposed challenge is becoming increasingly clear.
The council will decide at its budget meeting on 9 February whether to increase council tax and/or what cuts are required.

When the recycling centre is open

I have just been asked when the household waste and recycling centres are open over the festive period, including the new one at Badentoy. Here is the answer, from the council website:

“All Household Waste and Recycling Centres will close at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday 24th December, remain closed on 25th & 26th of December and reopen as normal on Tuesday 27th December. They will also close at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday 31st December, remain closed on 1st and 2nd January and reopen as normal on Tuesday 3rd January.”

Digital plan for schools

Aberdeenshire Council plans to roll out a wireless network covering 170 schools and numerous other sites.
Some 4,000 wireless access points will be installed to improve both digital learning opportunities for pupils and make the area more attractive to business.
Costing and a timescale are yet to be clarified, but installation firm Aerohive will have tight deadlines in a bid to avoid any disruption during term time.
I have asked council officers for further details on what this means for the North Kincardine ward.
https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/fp/news/local/council-logs-on-to-plan-to-boost-wireless-technology/

Road closes for urgent repairs

The Causey Mounth is to be closed for four days from Monday while AWPR contractors carry out road repairs. This includes the installation of passing places and urgent repairs to the verges in the Causeyport area.
Emergency access and pedestrian access is to be maintained, along with vehicular access to affected properties where possible.
Any queries should be directed to the AWPR team on 0800 058 8350 to speak to a member of the community liaison team, or email the team at community@awprcjv.com
2016-1216-causeyport

Concerns over wall

The wall between Park Place and the football pitch in Newtonhill is in a questionable state. Council officers are considering what to do. I would be interested in views about whether it should be replaced by bollards or a hedge, or simply removed. Any thoughts?
So far the majority favour its replacement with a hedge, similar to the one along Newtonhill Road. Other suggestions have included a drystane dyke, or a new wall.

Councils face more cutbacks

So, the Scottish Government is cutting the grant to councils by 3.5% (£350 million), according to the budget statement made in the Scottish Parliament by Finance Secretary Derek McKay today. The exact details for Aberdeenshire will not be known for several days but the figures were not good news for anyone.

The Scottish Government had an overall increase in its available funding this year. It is disappointing then that they have decided once more to protect other public sector groups at the expense of our local councils and the people that we serve. Aberdeenshire has a rising population and the council must meet all the demands that come with that.

However I welcome the u-turn over the funds to be raised by their enforced increase in band E-H council tax – all the money to be raised locally will stay with each council. Previously the Scottish Government had planned to siphon off North East council tax to support education in the central belt. Mr McKay has bowed to heavy political pressure not just from opposition parties but from his own SNP ranks.

Nonetheless the imposition of these council tax increases by the Scottish Government flies – yet again – in the face of local decision-making and the autonomy of our councils. Local authorities should be free to make their own decisions … and face the public come election time if councillors get it wrong!

Councillor Karen Clark, leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Aberdeenshire Council, welcomed the SNP’s dramatic climb-down over council tax. She said: “As recently as 3 November Derek McKay was defending this measure during a debate the parliament, accusing opposition MSPs of being opportunists, while locally SNP councillors were claiming it was fair and progressive.    

“No-one else agreed with them.   

“We put a Motion to council in November on behalf of the Aberdeenshire Alliance expressing the council’s serious reservations about this so-called ‘reform’. Fortunately our motion was carried despite the SNP and their Scottish Labour supporters attempting to dilute our criticism of the move. It was vital that SNP Ministers got a crystal clear message that their council tax raid was unacceptable in principle and in practice.    

“They seem to have got that message and while there is a lot to be done to tease out the detail of the smoke and mirrors Budget Statement, this u-turn is welcome. It still does not resolve the difficulties caused by a centralising government interfering in local councils but we will continue to stand up for strong local democracy and for Aberdeenshire.”

Why the pool is closed on Monday mornings

Local councillors were recently asked why Portlethen swimming pool closes on Monday mornings. Apparently other local authority pools are open at that time. Here is the answer from council officers:

“The opening hours for each pool relate to the amount of net budget allocated to each facility. Half day closures were one of the budget reductions in the 2010/11 budget. To open longer hours would increase the net budget requirement.

“Within this local managers try to accommodate all the varied needs of their community, and have flexibility to note where there might be changes in demand which suggest a variation to opening hours is required.”

The officer added that if there were evidence of increased demand on Monday mornings compared to the current opening times, this could be explored this further.

The issue was raised at a meeting of Portlethen community council.