Secretary: Sharon Park, Sunnyside House, Maryculter, Aberdeen AB12 5GT
Tel: 01224 734415 or 07971 406021 email:
website – c.org.uk
Minutes of the meeting held in the Corbie Hall, Maryculter on December 14, 2015
SUBJECT TO APPROVAL
Present
Henry Irvine-Fortescue (HIF)Vice Chairman Councillor Ian Mollison, Aberdeenshire Council
Sharon Park (SP)Secretary Councillor Carl Nelson, Aberdeenshire Council
Hazel Witte (HW)Treasurer
Avril Tulloch (AT)
Laureen Canessa (LR)
Colin Pike (CP)
11 members of the public attended.
1 Apologies
Drew Russell, Susan Astell and Councillor Alison Evison
HIF chaired the meeting.
2 Minutes of the previous meetings
Minutes of the November meeting were proposed as correct by by AT and seconded by LR.
3 Police report
No report had been sent and no police attended.
4Matters arising
4.1 Rural Schools and South Deeside Under 5s
Banchory-Devenick’s new head teacher Paul Hillhas taken up post.
Lairhillock School had a successful Christmas Fayre.
The joint primary schools end of term carol concert will take place in Maryculter Trinity church on Tuesday December 22 at 10am. Everyone is invited to hear them in fine singing form.
South Deeside Under 5s are concerned about possible disruption to their access and daily use should Sneezebox be grated permission to install residential pods in the Old Mill Inn car park.
4.2AWPR and Roads
Aberdeenshire Council in conjunction with students from RGU has produced an animated video of how to report road defects. This has been posted on the South Deeside View Facebook page.
In our area an ongoing issue is the use of the local road network by AWPR vehicles and local everyday traffic. The AWPR roads management team has erected temporary signage which often is creating vision issues at junctions by creating obstructions in sightlines and also construction traffic ignoring them.
In addition temporary traffic lights are creating there own hazard because of both AWPR and local traffic not obeying them. This has been reported to John Wilson the AWPR managing agent who has passed it on to the appropriate CJV management people for action.
Normal road surface deterioration is being accelerated by all the extra AWPR traffic and certainly the single track roads around this area are in an appalling state of repair, with verge damage, subsidence, and at numerous locations the surface is being ripped up by the amount of heavy vehicles turning at junctions.
It was agreed that Secretary SP should write to Aberdeenshire Council’s Chief Executive Jim Savage and invite him along with his key staff, Philip McKay - head of Roads, Stephen Archer - head of Infrastructure Services and Willie Munro - area manager to attend our 18th January meeting when we will also have a follow up report from the AWPR team.
CP offered to take our elected councillors around the area and show them the issues affecting local people.
4.3Website and Social Media
The NKRCC website is being well used with 654 views in November, 90 ‘likes’ on Facebook and 84 ‘tweets’.
Five people have access: Steve Taylor (former community councillor who helped set up the system), Sharon Park who has overall authority as administrator, Lynne Beard, Website manager, Colin Pike (who has not yet used his editing ability) and Mark ? of the service provider. If you wish information posted on the website or associated NKRCC Facebook, please send it to Lynne or Sharon.
Note that much local information is disseminated via the South Deeside View Facebook page and relevant information is shared between the two Facebooks.
5Planning
CP met Gavin Clark, a new senior planner at Viewmount to clarify his working liaison with community councils.
The Aberdeenshire weekly planning list is no longer emailed to interested parties. All community councils have been advised to check the council’s weekly list for any applications they wish to comment on, at:
https://upa.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/online-applications/search.do?action=weeklyList.
Details of how to comment are located within each application and the “commenter type” drop down menu allows users to pick “community council”, “.
Two senior membersof the K and M Planning Dept. have been absent on annual leave for 3 weeks during November and a senior member of the area managers office, plus the area manager are on long term health absence.
Application / LocationDetails
APP/2015/3652 / | Change of Use from Class 10 (Non-Residential Institutions) to Class 9 (Houses) | Ardoe Hall Ardoe Aberdeen Aberdeenshire AB12 5XT
Received: Mon 30 Nov 2015 | Validated: Wed 02 Dec 2015 | Status: Awaiting decision. Expiry Date for Comment Thursday 31 Dec 2015.
APP/2015/3444 / The Paul Lawrie Golf Centre West Of Ardoe House Hotel Ardoe Aberdeen Aberdeenshire
Ref. No: APP/2015/3444 Extension to Golf Driving Range Building
Received: Mon 09 Nov 2015 | Validated: Fri 13 Nov 2015 | Status: Awaiting decision
APP/2015/3443 / | Erection of Dwellinghouse | Land To East Of Birchfield Auchlunies Gardens Blairs Aberdeen Aberdeenshire AB12 5YS
Received: Mon 09 Nov 2015 | Validated: Mon 07 Dec 2015 | Status: Awaiting decision
Expiry Date for Comment Thursday 07 Jan 2016
APP/2015/2079 / Devenick Dairy, last but one dairy herd in the district| Part Change of Use of Agricultural Building and Extension to Form Coffee Shop, Retail Shop, Children's Play Area and Formation of Parking. Erection of Agricultural Building | Bishopston Portlethen Aberdeenshire AB12 4RS
Approved after intervention by local councillors Evison and Mollison
APP/2015/3145 / Erection of 25 Metre Steel Lattice Tower Mast, Telecommunications Antennae, Dishes and Associated Equipment | Land At Mains Of Cookney Farm Netherley Stonehaven. Approved
APP/2015/2455 / Erection of a Single Wind Turbine (Hub Height 50m, Up to 77m to Blade Tip) and Substation and Formation of Access Track and Hardstanding | Land At Cantlayhills Stonehaven Aberdeenshire AB39 3SP
Awaiting decision -The applicant has not provided sufficient information to enable the noise impact assessment to be replicated and thus verified as acceptable. Consequently, Environmental Health recommend refusal. Additional sound assessment report was submitted and validated 4th November - but no update as to the status since then.
APP/2015/3173 / 3173 Erection of 2 Blocks of Modular Accommodation
(76 one person bedroom Units) and Associated Infrastructure for Temporary Period not exceeding 5 Years, at Old Mill Inn Maryculter Aberdeenshire AB12 5FX Validated 16th October
Planning statement submitted, awaiting transport statement.
APP/2015/3220 / Erection of Office Building and Car Parking Area- Land To North West Of Marrlaine Netherley Stonehaven - W M Donald Contractors Application Validated Date - Monday 23 Nov 2015
Expiry Date for Comment - Sunday 13 Dec 2015
APP/2013/1971 / Extension to Existing Yard, Erection of Workshop/Storage Building and Formation of Access, Open Storage Area and Landscaped Bunds | Land to North West of Marrlaine Netherley Stonehaven AB39 3QN
6Finance
A letter of thanks has been received from Maryculter Senior Citizens for their recent grant.
We have £1175 of which £145 is allocated to the last 400 Club cash prizes for 2015, shown below.
400 Club winners were: £100 no. 3, £20 no. 237, £15 no. 450 and £1 no 1.
8 Correspondence
Date / FromDetails
17-Nov-15 / Don Balance, Karibu, Blairs: details of near miss.
Hawke Digger travelling West towards Maryculter on the C5K
Time 1108 on 6th November 2015 followed closely by a Carrilion pick up truck.
Reg # OE 11 OEB I think.
Location on the second corner east of the Craigingles quarry entrance.
21-Nov-15 / Dr Katrin Prager, Senior Social Scientist, Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences (SEGS)
The James Hutton Institute
Final report collating the findings from our study on Community Councils in Aberdeenshire
Forwarded to community councilors. HW has a paper copy.
26-Nov-15 / Jean Henretty, Development Officer, Kincardineshire Development Partnership
Link to the new BIG Lottery Programme. This is the fund for major projects up to £1m. The outcomes are quite restrictive so you may need some help to develop your project if you want to apply.
This would be the fund for halls and facilities - but you need to fit the outcomes - families, elderly, disadvantaged, young. - be innovative!
26-Nov-15 / Diane Strachan, PA to Area Manager K&M /Area Project Officer, Aberdeenshire Council
Survey regarding setting Aberdeenshire Council’s budget for 2016/17. Please circulate to your members and encourage them to get involved.
Posted on Facebook
29-Nov-15 / Jacky Niven, KDP, KDP Bulletin
Village Halls
KDP has initiated a project to support village halls in Kincardine and Mearns. Contact has been made with committee members on all halls which were in the Halls Association, as few are on email it would be useful if those of you on email could offer support. If you are involved with a hall or know a local hall which is not in the Association you may want to get in touch with KDP. Halls were the hub of communities and many still are. However many local halls are in need of some repair and heating to encourage new customers. Get in touch with Sandra at KDP if you love your hall.
BIG Lottery funding programme
£250m is available to community groups in Scotland over the next 5 years. The theme for the programme is 'Improving Lives'. The largest grant can be £1m but the average will be around £100,000
Aberdeenshire Council budget. Aberdeenshire Council would like your views about its budget for 2016/2017. There is still a budget of £530m to spend. This process will help to inform the decisions made by Aberdeenshire councillors in setting a balanced budget, which has to reduce overall spending for 2016/17 by £18million. The survey that starts the engagement process can be found at
Kincardineshire Development Partnershipis helping communities to help themselves. Formed earlier this year, the partnership is one of 6 rural partnerships in Aberdeenshire funded by Aberdeenshire Council to support the economic development of the Shire. Apart from 2 development officers there is a committee member from each Community Council area in K&M that you can contact. If you have a project or an idea to improve your community get in touch. or Facebook
30-Nov-15 / Gavin Penman CEng. MICE Projects Manager, Flood Management, Coastal and Harbours
Dr Deepak Kharat has been appointed as Principal Engineer (Flooding and Coast Protection).
Deepak will be the main point of contact for any flooding or coast protection issues. His email address is
Forwarded to CCs
01-Dec-15 / Lesley Robertson, Community Planning Officer K & M, Aberdeenshire Council
Town Centre Communities Capital Fund
Successful applicants for the Town Centre Communities Capital Fund.
Out of the successful applicants, four of the the groups are community councils.
01-Dec-15 / Sarah Graham (née MacRitchie),Project Officer (Delivery), Infrastructure Services, Aberdeenshire Council
Chapelton Liaison Minute 25 November 2015.
Next meeting is 25th May 2016
03-Dec-15 / Helen Brodie, Committee Officer P/T, Aberdeenshire Council
2016 Community Council Forum meetings will be 26th May 2016 and 24th November 2016.
Possible future topics proposed are the AWPR and the Community Empowerment Bill.
Forwarded to CCs
06-Dec-15 / Ron Sharp, Portlethen & District Community Council
Letter of support regarding AWPR
08-Dec-15 / Michael Morgan, Chairman, Newtonhill, Muchalls & Cammachmore Community Council
Next scheduled meeting of the North Kincardine Public Art Group is on Thursday 7th January 2016 at 7pm in the CLD Pine/Larch room at Portlethen Academy.
08-Dec-15 / Helen Brodie,Committee Officer P/T,Aberdeenshire Council
Publication of the 3rd Phase of the ongoing review of Aberdeenshire Councils’ Community Council Scheme of Establishment went to press today. The 3rd phase will run from today (08/12/15) until 31/01/16.
This has been drafted after phase 1 & 2 consultations. (Phase 1 asked Community Councils and the public to review any issues regarding Areas and Composition and Phase 2 asked Community Councils and the public to review any issues regarding the full scheme and associated documentation.)
Phase 3 is asking Community Councils and the public to review any amendments made as part of Phase 1 & 2. Therefore I would ask you to pass this attachment to your Community Council for review and to send any feedback to myself at
10-Dec-15 / KDP Office, KDP Bulletin
Scotmid Community Grant - Supporting Local Project
As a co-operative, Scotmid works hand in hand with their local communities, helping them prosper and improve the lives of their customers and members. When awarding Community Grants, they especially like to concentrate on the following categories:
Children/education, Community Groups, Active Lifestyles, Environment, Health Promotion, Elderly, Homelessness, Fairtrade, Arts & Culture and Charity.
If you have a community project that falls into one of these categories, they want to hear from you! For more information visit:
or pick up a form in your local Scotmid store.
Healthier Scotland Engagement Fund
The Scottish Government is holding a national conversation on improving the health of the Scottish population and the future of health and social care services in Scotland. The Healthier Scotland Engagement Fund has grants available to help small voluntary organisations and community groups run an event or engagement activity to gather views of people who would not normally participate in a consultation of this nature. Grants of up to £500 (or exceptionally up to £1,000) are available. The deadline is Friday 11th December 2015.
Making Local Woods Work
Expressions of interest are now open for Making Local Woods Work, a new project working to help support and grow woodland-based social enterprises across the UK. The project will work with 50 woodland social enterprises across the UK over the next three years, and is seeking applications from groups who are looking to undertake new activity that will help to bring a range of benefits for local people, bring woodlands into active management and generate trading income. For more information and to fill out the online expression of interest form, please see . If you want to discuss your group’s plans please contact Jon:( )
Grow Wild – Grow For It Awards
Young people aged 12 to 25 can apply for £500 for projects to raise awareness about the importance of native wild flowers and plants and their diverse habitats. Project can involve more than sowing and growing – as long as it communicates a message about UK native wild flowers and wild spaces in a creative way. Deadline: 22 February 2016
All posted on Facebook
8AOCB
Maryculter Woodland Trust: Handover of the woodland from the Forestry Commission is anticipated on December 23. A celebration party will be held on Easter Saturday 2016. Yesterday’sWoodland walk had an excellent turnout.
Broadband: Kees Witte reported thatafter much contact with Openreach and BT, and with support from some councillors and MP, he had been informed by Roddy Matheson, Service Manager-Industry Sector with Aberdeenshire Council that Broadband would be installed along the B979 as far as Sunnyside Cottage in January 2016
The meeting finished at 9.45pm
Date of next meeting – Monday January 18, 2016
Attachment
South Aberdeen Local Action Group (SALAG) meeting, November 17, Stonehaven
Chair - Liam Smyth, who chairs SALAG, and represents the Chamber of Commerce.
Purpose – to launch the Leader Fund, 2014 – 2020. This is financed by the European Union and Scottish Government, with the aim of supporting community-led local rural development.
Speakers – Martin Bremner of Aberdeenshire Council
Alastair Cunningham (AC), Co-ordinator of SALAG
SALAG consists of representatives from various voluntary, business and statutory groups who have developed the South Aberdeenshire Local Development Strategy through community engagement and consultation. Their five priorities are more fully explained in the orange leaflet, booklet and website:
1Connecting people and places
2Developing key economic sectors
3Promoting and protecting the environment
4Enriching and positive activities for all
5Co-operation
Of these numbers 3 and 4 are most relevant to our area – particularly for the Maryculter Woodland Trust who also attended.
Funds of £2.8 million are available between now and 2020 for projects which demonstrate creativity and innovation. Buzz words included sustainability, community empowerment, equal opportunities, educational events, wow factor, community development projects, new community facilities, business enterprise and job creation.
Application
The online application form is on the Scottish rural Network website:
and each application has various stages:
1 Expression of interest – to include who, what where and why. The co-ordinator will then contact the applicant and arrange a first meeting and provide guidance.
2 Development of the project plan – in collaboration with AC, which must include a robust business plan with good financial information and cash flow estimates.
3 Establishing sources of match funding – AC should be able to direct applicants to other funding sources.
4 Presentation of the full plans to the quarterly meeting of SALAG
A minimum funding request of £5 to £10,000 is suggested
Alastair Cunningham, co-ordinator, can be contacted: Tel: 01467 628262
or E-mail: