Minute of the meeting held on Monday June 16th at 7.30pm in Maryculter Community Hall.
|
Maryculter |
Netherley |
Banchory-Devenick |
Aberdeenshire Councillors |
Bill Fraser Philip Smart - Chairman Kate Kleppang Sandy Wallace
Avril Tulloch Rob Winmill – Vice Chairman Mike Birch. (Lower Deeside)
Kevin Park Michael Sullivan
Jill Greenlees (Stonehaven North & Fetteresso)
7 Members of the Public
APOLOGIES – Raymond Cowan (Treasurer), Robert Keeler - Secretary
MINUTES of the meeting of 19th May were approved.
Western Peripheral Route
Mr Euan Wallace of Aberdeenshire council gave a history of the WPR and the Joint Transport Policy. He then went on to summarise the future plans. A design consultant would be appointed by August 2003, Public orders would be issued in 2005/2006 and there would be public consultation on roads to be stopped up etc. Construction should start in 2007. There will be a Public Inquiry after the Public Orders process and construction started. Rob asked if there was any point objecting , Mr Wallace said only at the Public Inquiry, when the Reporter would decide objections. Bill said that we wished to represent local peoples concerns, for example where side roads would be blocked. Philip asked about graded junctions, lighting, road safety barriers and surfacing. Mike raised possible disruption to Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Mr Wallace said all these matters would be addressed in the detailed design plans. Compensation for properties potentially affected would be assessed as part of the Public Order process. It was expected that 80% to 90% of HGVs would be diverted from the B979 onto the WPR and that congestion at the Bridge of Dee would be cut by 25%. From a September 2002 survey, the Council believes that only 10-12% of traffic would use the whole of the bypass.
1. MATTERS ARISING
Rural Schools Merger – Sandy Wallace said that the price had been agreed for the Lairhillock site. Plans should be received shortly.
Web site – Kevin is to ask Aberdeenshire Council to make a link from their site to the NKRCC site.
Blairs Hearing now looking at being the 19 –20th August
2. PLANNING
New School NKRCC had requested formal consultation. Aberdeenshire had confirmed verbally that NKRCC was a consultee anyway but that the planning Dept is short of plans. These should be received within the next 3 weeks.
“Maryculter Organic Farm”. It was noted that this is now apparently selling eggs, Sandy confirmed that this needs separate planning permission. Rob had been told by the planning dept that the enforcement officer was dealing with the matter and NKRCC resolved to take no action if that was the case.
Goldcrest development at Kirkton of Maryculter - Rob responded to a question from the floor over the design of the corner which could be dangerous to children waiting for the School bus. Rob suggested they contact the roads Dept copy to us and we will then back them. He stressed to the residents that their previous letters of objection would not be recognised for this new matter and that they would need to write again. It was noted that a preservation order exists on the trees in the Kirkton churchyard.
Pipeline – From Garlogie to Montrose through our area. Rob reported that the Planning dept is uncertain whether this would be the subject of normal planning application or whether it would be handled by the Scottish Executive with Aberdeenshire Council merely a consultee.
Planning Applications –
S030578PF Full Planning Permission for Alterations, Extension and Change of Use of Steading to form 3 Dwellinghouses at Mid Ardoe Steading, Banchory-Devenick
3. FINANCE
200 Club Draw – Will be made at next meeting
4. CORRESPONDENCE
Police report: The police gave their report. There were very few accidents in the area and confirmed that high visibility patrols were continuing on the B9077 and B979. There were a few drivers reported for various offences including excessive speed. There have been reports of animals escaping from fields, could owners please check their fences are secure. In Blairs a property was broken into and jewellery stolen. Jewellery was also stolen from the pool area of Ardoe House Hotel. Also in Blairs two males and a female approached a property and were sent on their way. The owner reported the incident to the Police and subsequently 15 charges were brought against the three.
Right of Way – Haugh of Ardoe – Philip had rung W Munro of Aberdeenshire Council to query his letter and proposed that those interested be invited to a meeting, Bill and Mike would like to attend.
Stobhall – Matter from the floor was: The naming of streets at Stobhall as “Corbie Linn” could cause confusion. We will write to suggest an alternative name is used and those concerned in the room were invited to write separately to make their suggestions.
Other Correspondence –
May 21 Aberdeenshire Council – Postponement of Hearing re Blairs development.
May 21 Scottish Water – Notification of change of treatment of Water .
May 23 Aberdeenshire Crime Bulletin w/e May 23 2003
May 24 Kincardine & Mearns Area Community Council Forum Meeting 29 May 2003
May 29 Kincardine & Mearns Area Committee Meeting 3 June 2003
May 29 Aberdeenshire Council – Best Value Customer Questionnaire Cultural Heritage Team
May 29 Association of Scottish Community Council AGM
May 30 Letter inviting Councillor Sullivan to our meetings.
May 30 Aberdeenshire Crime Bulletin w/e May 30 2003
Jun 3 Notification of the Doric Festival 3 to 19 October
Jun 4 Letter from W Munro re Haugh of Ardoe Right of Way.
Jun 5 Email sending copy of W Munro’s letter to Scottish Rights of Way Society
Jun 5 Bus Timetables
Jun 6 K & D Voice
Jun 6 Aberdeenshire Crime Bulletin w/e Jun 6 2003
Jun 7 Aberdeenshire Council Countryside Access Strategy
Jun 7 Aberdeen City Council Traveller Action Plan
Jun 10 Aberdeenshire Council – Street Naming - Corbie Linn Park Stobhall Maryculter
Kincardine and Mearns Community Council Forum - Thursday 29th May 2003
Kate reported that there was a very poor response to the Saturday meeting for Community Planning. Robert had previously suggested that the invitation letters were unclear and the Aberdeenshire Council would take that on board when arranging another meeting after the summer.
Training on Planning and Development Control Matters – A summary of Douglas Gray, Area Planning Officer, presentation: Planning Applications are open to public scrutiny and enquiry. Where the Scottish Executive reports recommend, the Local Council has the choice to implement or not. EC driven directives emphasise the importance of sustainable practices – reduction in traffic, waste management. Many objections such as devaluation of property or loss of view are not valid reasons to refuse an application. Arguments over legal wrangles such as shared access are also not part of the planning process. Only 5% of applications are refused, although others may require modification.
Q&A: -The refusal to allow steading conversions without business use is an Aberdeenshire Council Planning Dept.’s interpretation of the EC directive on sustainability. They reason that unless a workplace is incorporated into the application it is increasing traffic to and from a place of work. When asked if the conversions could be incorporated into the allocation in a certain area we were told it would be such a tiny amount that it wouldn’t be worth consideration.
On the subject of developers having the experience to ‘play the system’, Mr Gray admitted that they would be more aware of the pitfalls in the planning system but overall everyone was treated in the same way. With reference to the last minute changes in the Local Plan, people would still have the statutory length of time to lodge objections. (at this point those present challenged how one might know to do this see below) If a developer was found to be guilty of wilfully not informing those concerned of an application the application would have to be resubmitted even if the work had already started. Mr Gray admitted that he had never heard of this happening. It is very hard to prove that someone did not get notification.
Kincardine and Mearns Area Partnership Project.- Lucy Young-Smith from The Arkleton Centre for Rural Development Research (Aberdeen University) has been employed to check the feasibility of developing the Kincardine and Mearns Area Partnership (formed in 98/99 but never used). When set up this could provide expertise to advise community councils on matters of funding, planning and legalities. Problems appear to be that community councils are not always interested in other areas and suggested projects have not been submitted. Lucy would be happy to come and speak to individual community councils. NKRCC resolved to invite Lucy to do this.
Update on Community Planning and Partnership
Note: The meeting agreed that Mr Gray’s point about last minute changes to the Local Plan as reported was not what we experienced in practice (quoting the example of the ‘Lairhillock 50 houses’) There at less than a days notice, a major rural development could have been passed ‘on the nod’ with NO opportunity to object. We would write to the Planning Department on the subject.
18 August 2003 at 7:30pm
15 September 2003 at 7:30pm