Minute of the meeting held on Monday 16 January 2006 at Maryculter Community Hall.

    

    PRESENT

Maryculter

Cookney / Netherley

Banchory-Devenick    

Aberdeenshire

Councillors

Bill Fraser

Avril Tulloch

Jill Greenlees

Philip Smart (Chairman)

Rob Winmill(Vice Chairman)

Robert Keeler (Secretary),

Duncan Petrie

Mike Birch

 

Sandy Wallace

(Lower Deeside

Michael Sullivan

(Stonehaven North & Fetteresso)

 

                                                                                                                                                      

25 Members of the Public        

APOLOGIES – Bob McKinney

Kate Kleppang has tendered her resignation – It was agreed that the secretary write a letter of appreciation of her service.

MINUTES of the meeting of  12 December  were approved.

MATTERS ARISING

New Lairhillock School – Work has commenced but we were told that children expected now to start March 2007

Web site – Additional AWPR page to be added this week.

Roads – In respect of our letter regarding the A90 roadworks Rob read out parts of Aberdeenshire’s reply which claimed that 24 hour working is not that efficient and that as the road was not actually closed the Council would not be requesting funds from Scottish Executive for repairs to local roads damaged by vehicles seeking alternate routes.

Western Peripheral Route – deferred to last item of the meeting with approval of all present.

South Deeside View – Next issue about Easter time, copy dead line March 31st. Volunteers to deliver still needed in Banchory-Devenick and parts of Maryculter.

1.                  PLANNING

ALP - Public Inquiry.  Council has accepted most of the Reporter’s recommendations. We had made a further 3 objections consistent with our previous ones and in one case relating to one of our proposed amendments which had been agreed by the Council at the inquiry and then had been subsequently changed.

Blairs – Nothing to report.

New planning applications

APP/2005/4047     Agricultural Notification for Extension to Existing Agricultural Building to Form General  Storage/Cattle Accommodation at Brucewells Netherley Stonehaven

APP/2005/4362     Full Planning Permission for Conversion and Extension to bothy to Form Dwellinghouse at Bothy At Mill of Monquich Farmhouse Stonehaven

APP/2005/4299     Full Planning Permission for Extension to Dwellinghouse at Nether Ashentilly House Nether  Ashentilly Road Maryculter Aberdeen

 

Robert asked if the AWPR and Fast Link would affect planning applications within the corridor of search as had happened with the Murtle Route. Philip asked elected members to assist in such situations and reported that the AWPR team had said at their last meeting that strategic zoning of land was their main concern. If anyone has difficulties relating to planning applications  near the route they should talk to the AWPR team first and then the Planning Dept. The Community Council will assist where possible.

 

2.                  FINANCE

Raymond said that our grant of £475 had been received

WRVS have requested financial assistance, it was agreed that £120 should be given.

200 Club – Raymond asked that all ‘200 Club’ tickets and cash should be given to him before next meeting

 

 

4.            CORRESPONDENCE

Police Report – No report again. Secretary to write to the Police about this.

Dec 20    SNH Newsletter

Dec 21    Aberdeenshire Council – Scottish Executive Discussion Paper onn Community Councils

Dec 21    Scottish Water – Launch of Scottish Waters Winter Warmer Campaign

Dec 22    Reply to letter re Wheelie Bins

Dec 23    Letter of Resignation from Kate Klepang

Dec 23    K & D Voice Newsletter

Dec 23    Aberdeenshire Council – Consultation on Public Art Strategy

Dec 23    Grampian Fire Brigade – Risk Management Action Plan

Dec 29    BAA Aberdeen – Airport Master Plan

Jan  6      Aberdeenshire Council –  Budget Papers

Jan  6      Aberdeenshire Council - Delegated Planning Applications 1 November to 30 November 2005

Jan 11     Aberdeenshire Council – K & M Area Committee 17 January 2006

Jan 13     Scottish Health Council - Newsletter

Jan 14     Aberdeenshire Council – K & M Community Learning Partnership Minutes

 

The Council had relied to our letter regarding wheelie bins, but with no solutions.

There will be a second bin for paper collection to be uplifted monthly.

The environmental costs of individuals driving to recycling points was questioned. Colin Pike suggested that a community recycling point could be set up by the new school. It was felt that an approach to Roger Thorne of the Lairhillock to see if a small site could be set up there would be preferable. We should take up the offer of an official to speak at a future meeting if things do not improve. It was stated that any bin left by the roadside and causing an accident, by blowing over etc, would not be the responsibility of the Council, even though it was there on the Council’s instruction. Availability of collection points for plastic at places like the Lairhillock was queried. Generally agreed that the initial stages of the new Scheme had proved a shambles. Many of the public present were using the City depots. The bulk waste service available on Saturdays in Stonehaven was praised and it was hoped this would continue.

5.                  AOCB

Scottish Executive – How can we help Community Councils fulfil their role.

Mike Birch gave a presentation and asked for our comments as soon as possible

 

Notice Board at Hall – Nothing to report

 

Western Peripheral Route

Philip and Rob met Cliff Buchan of the AWPR Management Team, Graham Edmond (Scottish Executive) being unavailable. It was reported from that meeting that we had been told the following:-

The reasons given for the ‘Fast Link’ were : (a) that local residents has requested relief of B979 (b) Stonehaven residents requested it (c) Peterculter residents had wanted to reduce traffic through the village (d) would remove traffic from A90 during roadworks.

The cost of the link was stated to be £30m.

We were told that if there was a problem with the Camphill site at Milltimber, they would either be given money to move or the road would be moved further east.

We had been shown a ‘corridor’ that would be considered for the route but not allowed a copy. This corridor would be approximately from Stonehaven (slug road) to Bridge of Muchalls and running parallel to the B979 to Maryculter, between the west of the road and the east of Cookney.

WPR team are also considering moving the interchange away from the old mill inn area as they “were now aware of “ was “a Leisure Park, Hotel, Caravan park, cemetery and houses” at the initial site. The Junction could be moved nearer to Invercrynoch.

An aerial survey of the ‘corridor’ will commence in March and ground surveys in April.

There may be requests for site-investigations; landowners are recommended to have professional advisors but fees are only re-imbursed if land is actually taken/used.

 The line orders for the chosen route may be issued by the end of the year. It is not certain whether the fast link will be single or dual carriageway.

AWPR website will be updated within two weeks and completely revamped within 2 months.

On the subject of compensation, we had been told that if the route does not impinge on a person’s property, householders will only be eligible for Part1 compensation (noise, dust, light pollution etc.) and then only if you live within about 300 yards of the road. It you employ professional advice the fees would only be paid if you have a claim.

The meeting commented as follows:

On the issues of the rational for the spur route the excuses were felt to be retrospective justification. In specific response at the meeting (a) was ridiculed by those present as not being appropriate (b) Councillor Sullivan reported that there had been no such issue raised at Stonehaven CC meeting nor as a Stonehaven Councillor had anyone approached him. (c) attention was drawn to the local campaign now in Peterculter stating that the proposal would increase traffic in that area. (d) It was felt ridiculous to build a new road just because roadworks had been poorly deigned and managed – attention was drawn to the correspondence on this issue

The question of who will pay for the road was raised. Sandy stated that Aberdeen City had £21m in its capital budget for their share and some had said would not contribute more. The meeting concluded that the 81:9.5:9.5 percentage split may be renegotiated.

Newspaper article mentioned Mike Rumbles our MSP is meeting Tavish Scott on Thursday.

A member of the public asked why the Murtle route wasn’t chosen, no-one was prepared to go on record over this point.

Mike B thinks we are justified in asking for other routes to be considered, for example the Stewat Milne development at Marywell should be held up until a route is agreed as the possibility of the development paying for a junction to the WPR should be reconsidered. Sandy did not think that feasible as planning permission had been granted. Mike replied that the Scottish Executive could call in the application. Jill felt that we should write to the Scottish Executive suggesting that  that other options should be considered – a number of proposals were mentioned by the public including for alternate links between the A90 between Newtonhill and Porthlethen and the original Milltimber brae route. A principal of trying to reduce the total length of road in our area was discussed.

Queried would the North Sea pipelines affect the route – assumed response that crossing is quite simple, but a road on top of the line for any distance would be problematical.

Mike Sullivan said that Stonehaven CC had not in the last 5 years called for a Fast Link to Maryculter.

The AWPR team now referred to the two road option chosen by the Transport Minister as a ‘by-pass’ as well as a peripheral road.

Bill felt that we should ask for evidence of  requests for a ‘fast link’

Philip felt we should ask for design information.

A show of hands by those present unanimously agreed that the CC should write to suggest that other routes should be considered especially starting further North up the A90 where a link from it to the AWPR would be shorter cheaper affect far fewer residents and benefit Badentoy Industrial Estate businesses.

 

Post meeting note: In view of the proposed public meeting on the AWPR including local politicians action groups and public on 20th February Councillors agreed to postpone the NKRCC meeting scheduled for the 20th – In a poll condusted by the secretary a majority opted for 27th February as a replacement date

 

DATE OF NEXT MEETING

                27 February 2006 at 7:30pm 

            20 March 2006 at 7:30pm 

 

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