A DEVELOPER’S bid to have a planning condition eased to allow ground clearing works is one of the latest planning applications received by Aberdeenshire Council.
In December 2023, Eurogarages Ltd were granted full planning permission for roadside services at the Megray Farm site adjacent to the AWPR roundabout. Without any material start to the development that permission would lapse this December. Once a start has been made to work at the site, the permission will remain in perpetuity.
This recent application sees the developer seeking permission to undertake ground clearing works before the submission of a hard and soft landscaping scheme as required in one of the consent conditions.
Fetteresso Church meanwhile hopes to replace the current timber doors at the entry to the church hall and replace them with electrically operated sliding glass doors. And Dunnottar Church are seeking permission to prune an oak tree.
Full details on all the applications can be found online, using the links.
Status: AWAITING DECISIONThis item is open for commentsErection of Dwellinghouse Land To East Of Blairs Stables Fetteresso Stonehaven AB39 3UTRef. No: APP/2026/1531 · Received: Tue 08 Sep 2026 · Validated: Thu 17 Sep 2026
Status: AWAITING DECISION Pruning of Oak Tree Dunnottar Church Stonehaven AB39 3XLRef. No: TRE/2026/0064 · Received: Fri 04 Sep 2026 · Validated: Wed 16 Sep 2026
Status: AWAITING DECISION This item is open for comments Alterations to Hall Fetteresso Parish Church Hall Bath Street Stonehaven Aberdeenshire AB39 2DHRef. No: APP/2026/1385 · Received: Fri 14 Aug 2026 · Validated: Fri 18 Sep 2026
Our current Chair Steve Harris is standing down at the end of the year after five years in the role and we’re looking for someone to take the Friends and our historic pool forward.
It’s a great opportunity to play a key role in supporting one of Stonehaven’s most loved and historic assets while working alongside our fantastic team of volunteers.
You don’t need to be a swimming expert and you wouldn’t be expected to run the day-to-day volunteer operations. We’re looking for someone who can provide leadership, support good governance and build relationships with the Council, volunteers and the wider community.
Interested? The full recruitment pack, including details of the role and how to apply, is available here:
Do you like listening to music? Have you ever stopped to think about the value of having a radio station that is actually part of your local community?
Yes, we play music – and plenty of it! From pop, indie, country, dance and disco to R&B, jazz, blues, soul, reggae, folk and more, there really is something for everyone. But Mearns FM is about far more than music.
Our Business Spotlight, supported by Business Gateway Aberdeen City & Shire, gives local businesses the opportunity to tell their stories, share their experiences and connect with the community. Our community programming brings local events, organisations, information and issues to the airwaves, while Community Spotlight provides a platform for charities and initiatives supporting people across Kincardine and Mearns.
Then there are our young people.
Student Sound Off gives young people a genuine microphone and a genuine voice. We have worked with students from Mearns Academy, supported young people through The King’s Trust and Aberdeen Foyer, and welcomed individuals interested in broadcasting, music and gaining practical experience.
Our newest programme, Beyond The Microphone, takes that community conversation further, exploring the real issues affecting real people, from wellbeing and social challenges to creativity, local authors and topical issues.
At the heart of all this is a simple belief: today’s young person is tomorrow’s business owner, community leader, professional or volunteer. We want to help give them the confidence, communication skills and experience to take their next step.
And here is something many people don’t realise: everyone at Mearns FM is an unpaid volunteer. There are no paid presenters. In fact, our presenters contribute financially to help sustain the station.
We have a big C in our name. It isn’t commercial. It is COMMUNITY.
But community radio needs a community. WE NEED YOU!
You can listen locally on 105–107FM and DAB+, or online via our website, Alexa, Radio Player and Radio Garden.
We need listeners, businesses, community organisations, partners, funders and people who believe in what local people can achieve together.
Perhaps you could help us create the next opportunity?
Mearns FM – Your Voice. Your Music. Your Community.
ABERDEENSHIRE Council have confirmed the beach toilet building will be put on the market for commercial sale or lease unless community volunteers come forward.
The move would be a sad end to a building that signalled Stonehaven’s determination to establish itself as a premier holiday destination in the 1930s tourist boom. The toilets were erected to provide essential infrastructure for the families, day-trippers, and walkers crowding the seafront. They were built in tandem with the open air pool – both opened in 1934.
The Council’s decision to close the convenient block was taken back in 2016 – before the AWPR opened up Stonehaven to the whole North-east, before the creation of Aberdeen South Harbour whose visiting cruise ships discharge tourists by the coach load, and before the recent surge in visiting motor homes and general tourism.
Local business woman Janice Langdon bears the brunt of needy visitors who often with embarrassment ask to use the toilets at Molly’s Cafebar. She petitioned the local authority to reconsider their toilet provision. That failed.
At their meeting on June 11, the councillors of the Business Services Committee instead asked the Area Office to work with community groups and look at volunteer action. Had they read the petition form, they would have known both our Community Council and Stonehaven Town Partnership had already considered the prospect and concluded they did not have the capacity.
New volunteers are needed
At last week’s meeting of the Town Centre Improvement Group area manager Tim Stephen disclosed the final outcome – the building would be either sold or leased. There appears to be no guarantee it will not be stripped of its essential function.
So it appears unless a new ‘Friends of the Beach Toilets’ style group emerges, the fate of the iconic art deco answer to the call of nature will be left to the vagaries of the open market.
If anyone is willing to take on the project, the local authority has given an assurance of their support.
An Aberdeenshire Council spokesperson said: “Our area team would welcome discussion with any group who wishes to take on these toilet facilities in Stonehaven.”
One possibility is a community run arrangement whereby volunteers receive a modest payment to look after the day to day running of the loos, while the Council look after the building and utility bills. The 2026/27 payment for Community Run facilities is £1,469.02 .
Another option would to have a business take the building on then join the Comfort Partnership Scheme where free public use of toilets is provided and the host earns £2,215.25.
Act now or the beach toilets are lost
As the spokesperson confirmed, it is now or never.
They said: ”It is our intention to progress our asset management policy in regard to the existing building, which will likely to lead to the lease of these facilities.”
Through The Bellman I have attempted to support efforts to have the toilets re-opened.
If anyone is willing to join a group to try and keep the facility open, then please contact me on news@thebellman.co.uk
Members of the Scottish Draughts Association are hosting several international tournaments at Stonehaven Town Hall, having invited top-class federations and players of the board game from around the world to compete for the British Open Three-Move Championship and the Women’s and Youth World Championships.
Also up for grabs is a qualifier, with the winner having the opportunity to take on the current world champion.
Last week Crispin Odhiambo Ojwang, travelled from Kenya to take the title in the British Open Three-Move Championship with 25 points, beating South African player Lukhanyo Dyanibokwe, who finished with 22 points, and former British Open champion Shane McCosker, who finished with 21 points.
Nineteen players competed in total, with representatives from Scotland, England, Ireland, Germany, South Africa, the US, Barbados and Kenya.
The Three-Move variation differs from traditional draughts, with the opening three moves determined in advance by ballot. The format is widely played competitively and requires players to adapt their strategies from the very beginning of a match.
The winner of the Women’s World Championship will be announced tomorrow, Friday, after six players compete in a round-robin tournament throughout the week, including competitors from the Barbados Draughts Association, Ireland, Ukraine and Italy.
Graham Young, a Stonehaven-based member of the Scottish Draughts Association who competed in this year’s British Open, said: “It feels like a huge honour to be hosting these tournaments in Stonehaven, especially because it marks the 100th anniversary of the British Draughts Open and twenty years since it was last held in Stonehaven.”
He added he was proud to have Stonehaven serving as a meeting point for international competitors.
Meanwhile, Irish player Sean Phillips has been enjoying the Stonehaven scenery and local café The Red Red Robin. Over the tournament, staff at the popular food outlet have welcomed customers from Barbados, France, Orkney and Ireland, saying, “we’ve given a wee discount,” to players in celebration of the event.
Feature image – Stonehaven Town Hall is a great venue – though representatives of the Scottish Draughts Association say they found Aberdeenshire Council unhelpful and despite months of preparation. they only received written confirmation of the Town Hall booking on 9 September, the first day of the Championships,
IF you drive to Peterhead, you reach a formidable gateway to the town where construction is already underway for the converter station needed for the Eastern Green Link 2 – a 505 km subsea cable connecting renewable energy from northern Scotland to England. It is huge. It is ugly.
The picture above gives little sense of scale. And that is one of the problems for anyone trying to grasp the significance of the electrical infrastructure proposed for Stonehaven and the Mearns. Those forced to contemplate the reality are not happy – we will lose farmland and forestry. The nature of our countryside may change forever.
Aspen substation
At last week’s meeting of Stonehaven and District Community Council, SDCC, Cerulean Wind’s recent announcement of their preferred location for their project substation was on the agenda.
SDCC are statutory consultees in planning matters, so they need to understand what is happening, why it is happening and what the impact on this town and the surrounding area will be. These developments are happening in their patch.
The chosen site lies at Auquorthies just south of Kempstone hill, between the A90 and A92. The substation will have a platform area of 10.5 hectares. Enclosed industrial buildings could reach heights up to 20m. Like having a Transition Extreme on our doorstep quipped one member. Chair Ben Pluviez questioned the choice of site – it is on good arable land.
To help everyone visualise the sheer size, secretary Rachel Frame produced a chart showing a rugby pitch and the relative sizes of Aspen and other proposed substation sites.
Ian Hunter has been looking into contained gas-insulated substations which could offer a smaller footprint than an open-air option. But he accepts SDCC do not have the knowledge to challenge technical matters effectively.
”We need technical advocacy,” he said. ”We need someone on our side.”
Visiting the meeting was Peter Flockhart of Newtonhill, Muchalls and Cammachmore Community Council.
He said: ”We feel we are out of our depth with this. We are professional amateurs doing our best.”
Mr Plouviez proposed the formation of a small working group who would try to identify suitably qualified and knowledgeable people to speak to the Community Council so they could decide how to move their position forward.
From farmland to electrical powerhouse
Before any formal application has even been submitted, those immediately affected by the proposals are opposing what they see as an inappropriate, industrial-scale encroachment and have reached out to SDCC for support.
In a letter sent on behalf of the Auquorthies Action Group, Hugh Duffy states: ”The sheer industrial massing, security fencing, and substantial scale of a 400kV substation are entirely disproportionate to the rural landscape of Kincardine and Mearns. This site sits in an open, high-quality agricultural area.
”The proposed location sits unacceptably close to established residential properties, severely impacting local residential amenity through continuous operational noise (substation hum), light pollution, and visual blight.
”Auquorthies Road is a narrow, single-track rural route with limited passing places. It is entirely unsuited for the volume of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and specialized industrial transport required during the multi-year construction phase of a 400kV project
Mr Duffy concludes: ”We will be urging the planning service to refuse this site allocation and require the developers to seek an alternative location that does not destroy the rural integrity of the Stonehaven countryside.
”We would like to request the support of our Community Council in objecting to this development and would ask that you confirm your position and consider a formal response to Cerulean on our behalf.”
Screenshot image taken from project website where full information on the proposals is available.
By Anna Carlton Lifeboat Press Officer Stonehaven RNLI
It’s hard to believe Stonehaven RNLI’s new station building has been operational for a full year, and what a difference it has made to all the volunteer crew and the community.
The most obvious benefit is having all facilities under the one roof: a substantial boat hall with public viewing gallery, significantly increased crew facilities and a new RNLI shop.
With everything under the one roof the crew no longer need to race down to the old crew portacabin, get kitted up and then run round to the boat shed to prep the boat. Now it’s simply a matter of a flight of stairs.
The boat hall itself is more spacious, making getting the boat in and out simpler and providing much improved storage and work area for the mechanics.
Volunteer boat mechanic Gav Forsyth, who has experienced working in both old and new facilities, commented: ‘The biggest improvement is the amount of space we have not only for carrying out operational roles, but for training and maintenance also. From a mechanics point of view the space in the boat hall is a big improvement. Giving us better storage and accessibility and enabling us to carry out routine maintenance in better conditions and within a larger workspace.’
The crew facilities space has more than doubled. There now a separate kitchen area, crew breakout/training room, a second large training room, improved changing area, increased bathroom facilities and a separate briefing for room with dedicated helmet and life jacket storage.
‘From an operational perspective, the new Stonehaven Lifeboat Station has made an incredible difference to us as a crew. For us, it feels like we finally have a proper home for the lifeboat and its crew. Having better changing facilities, dedicated spaces where we can train, prepare when we get a shout and spend time together has made a real difference to the crew,’ says boat crew volunteer Caroline Tierney.
‘It has also enabled us to welcome more people from the local community, show them the lifeboat and share what it means to be part of the crew. We are proud to have a station that brings us closer to the community and helps us continue serving the people of Stonehaven and the surrounding area when they need us most.’
Stonehaven RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager, Peter Esson adds: ‘The space and facilities make it a pleasure to come down for training or when we are out on a shout. The ability to break out into separate rooms for different classroom sessions greatly enhances the training opportunities. I’m very privileged and humbled to be the Operations Manager for the station. There’s no comparison between the temporary portacabin we had for over ten years and what we have now.’
The increased storage has also been a boon to our fundraisers providing them with better cupboard space at the station. This means our dedicated fundraisers are no longer having to find space in their own homes for fundraising materials and merchandise.
Incorporated into the new station building are two completely new facilities for Stonehaven. A public viewing gallery in the boat hall allowing the public to view the ‘Jamie Hunter’, Stonehaven RNLI’s Atlantic 85, which is incredibly popular. And then there is the new RNLI shop, which since its opening just over a year ago has proved very popular with locals and tourists alike, raising significant funds for the RNLI.
Emily Blake, one of the shop team volunteers, commented: ‘We’ve now got a brilliant team of 30 shop volunteers who welcome customers 7 days a week. We’ve heard personal stories from customers about their own interactions with the RNLI in the past and their reasons for supporting us. We couldn’t have asked for a better first year and look forward to seeing what the next year brings.’
All of this has been made possible by the huge support and generosity of the Stonehaven community and major benefactor Professor James Allen, whose considerable generosity provided Stonehaven RNLI’s Atlantic 85 ‘Jamie Hunter’ as well as the primary funding for the new station.
THE scale and number of proposed electrical transmission infrastructures around Stonehaven is becoming increasingly apparent as multiple offshore wind farm developers push forward with their plans – the following is a Bellman briefing on where we are at now.
Hearing for Bowdun Offshore Windfarm
Last week, a pre-determination hearing was held at Viewmount for Bowdun Offshore Windfarm Ltd’s application for planning permission in principle for its onshore infrastructure.
Thistle Wind Partners are behind the scheme, which was one of the projects gaining a license in 2022 following the ScotWind leasing round. Their plans would see 67 fixed-foundation turbines set in 187Km2 of seas generating 1.08GW electricity.
The series of works proposed would see export cables taken under the shoreline at Haughs Bay, Benholm, using horizontal directional drilling to reach the landfall connection at bays 4m underground. A corridor ranging from 105m to 575m wide would then be required to trench the cables 1.65m underground on a route passing under the A92 and between Glenbervie and Drumlithie.
Finally and perhaps most significantly, Bowdun like all offshore wind farms, requires its own project substation, which would encompass 19 hectares of Fetteresso Forest – with 10 hectares being for the operational switchyard itself. To give a sense of scale, one rugby pitch is approximately one hectare.
The pre-determination hearing was an information gathering session for councillors who heard from, and could question, a range of speakers representing the planning service, the developer and those wishing to make representations. Points raised will be put to the Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee for discussion. A report will then go to a meeting of the council’s Infrastructure Services Committee, where committee members will be asked to make a decision.
The above is the Scottish Government map of all Scottish offshore wind projects (as of January 2026)
Bellrock Wind Farm – Cowie landfall identified
Nadara are the developers behind Bellrock – another ScotWind lease project – this time a 1.8 GW floating wind farm with around 120 turbines – one of the largest floating wind farms in UK waters.
Electricity generated by Bellorock is scheduled to connect to the grid at the proposed Hurlie substation. A separate project substation is also required. As yet, no further information has been forthcoming on any chosen site – the diagram below is from information presented during the public consultation earlier this year and shows potential locations.
Aspen Wind Farm choose site for substation south of Kempstone Hill
If it goes ahead, the Aspen Floating Offshore Windfarm will comprise up to 72 turbines floating 84 – 100 km off Peterhead and producing 1GW of electricity.
As an INTOG (Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas) license development, Aspen would first provide electricity to offshore oil and gas structures.
Remaining power will travel to a landfall site north of Newtonhill just inland from Craig Stirling, then on to a proposed substation located between the A90 and A92.
The second consultation last month on this project revealed Cerulean Wind’s chosen substation site just off the Auquorthies Road.
The substation footprint is likely to measure 300m by 350m – 10.5 hectares. Three technological solutions are being considered:
Air Insulated Substation (AIS): with equipment mostly outdoors in an open yard
Gas Insulated Substation (GIS): majority of equipment contained within buildings.
Hybrid design: a combination of both AIS and GIS technologies.
A cable corridor would then be required to carry the power on to the proposed Hurlie substation for connection to the National Grid.
This developer is starting to talk about money
On Wednesday September 2, Cerulean Winds stuck their heads above the parapet to host an Aspen Community investment Workshop in Chapelton.
A Community Fund is on the cards for the three community council areas affected by the development – Stonehaven and District (SDCC), North Kincardine, and Newtonhill, Muchalls and Cammachmore. At last week’s meeting of SDCC, members heard the proposed arrangement could be an initial £70k development fund available post-consent (say 2027); £430k spread over three years of construction (for amelioration of effects on immediate neighbourhoods, and therefore not part of the wider community benefit); and then £5 million spread over the 20-year contract period for community use.
Hurlie – the elephant in the room
The Hurlie substation is deemed a national development by the Scottish Government in our National Planning Framework 4, NPF4, adopted in February 2023. It is further backed by NPF4 Policy 11 which supports all renewable energy projects and enabling infrastructure unless there are unacceptable significant adverse impacts.
Hurlie is the final vital link between huge volumes of generated renewable energy and the National Grid and the transmission highway that will manifest itself in the proposed Kintore to Tealing 400kV overhead line, which is now under the scrutiny of a public inquiry after Angus Council objected to the 66-mile “super-pylon” project.
And SSEN’s bid for a 400 kV air insulated substation along with associated works at Hurlie bog in Fetteresso Forest was itself refused planning permission in January by Aberdeenshire Council’s Infrastructure Services Committee.
In February, SSEN lodged an appeal to that decision with the Scottish Government’s Planning and Environmental Appeals Division. In May, matters went up a notch as the appeal was called in by Scottish Ministers. The reporter allocated to the case, Mr Alisdair Edwards will conclude his investigations and considerations before making a recommendation. Then it is over to Holyrood for a decision.
It must be getting tense in the corridors of power – the last update stated Mr Edwards was expected to issue his report by 31 August 2026.
If you are reading The Bellman on a larger format device, ie a tablet or a PC, then you will be able to find a search function the home page just below the title on the right. It is very good. We have published more articles on the renewable energy developments than it is sensible to try and link so please do have a look if you are interested
The final item on this week’s planning is an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) scoping request from the developers of the Bellrock Offshore Wind Farm. This is a formal voluntary process where a developer asks the planning authority for a written opinion on the scope and level of detail required in an Environmental Statement. There do not appear to be any accompanying documents added yet.
Status: AWAITING DECISIONErection of Offshore Transmission InfrastructureBellrock Offshore Wind Farm 120km East Of Stonehaven AberdeenshireRef. No: ENQ/2026/1606 · Received: Thu 03 Sep 2026 · Validated: Thu 10 Sep 2026
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
