A potential Stonehaven lottery was just one of the topics discussed at this week’s meeting of Stonehaven and District Community Council, SDCC.
After the usual formalities, attention turned to matters arising from previous minutes. A subgroup was formed to follow up on the Recreation Grounds discussion from last month. There was concern raised about insufficient signage at the Beach toilets, and a desire to find a way to get them reopened, as Stonehaven is promoted as a tourist hub.
Aberdeenshire Council’s plan to implement the national 20mph strategy.
After discussion the community council agreed to support the implementation, with the addition of a 20 mph speed limit on the Slug Road between William Mackie Road and Farrochie Road, and on Broomhill Road, from east of the A90 flyover to Fetteresso cemetery. This will be fed back to Aberdeenshire Council.
Landscape Services
SDCC is requesting an update on weeding, grass cutting and the clearing of abandoned sandbags. It was felt that parts of Stonehaven were uninviting to visitors, particularly the main bus stop outside Farmfoods, and also areas where weeds are breaking through curbs and pavements. Overgrown shrubbery was another concern. John Cruickshank explained that Horizon devoted approximately 1150 to 1200 hours annually to improving the environment in Stonehaven, but achieving the Gold award in 2022 involved around 4700 hours. Maintaining the standard is a huge task and Horizon would benefit from new, younger volunteers. A May Spring clean, prior to annual events in the town, is usually carried out. It was agreed that abandoned sandbags locations would be identified, and the Aberdeenshire Council asked to uplift them.
Planning
The first concern raised was the proliferation of cables running untidily across buildings in the centre of town. It was agreed this would be raised at the next Town Centre Improvement group meeting. Second, it was felt that the Conservation Area Review recently completed by Planning Aid Scotland was not well conducted, and lacked local input. Questions were asked about who had instigated the review, and where the budget had come from. Local councillors agreed to find out and feedback.
Hannah Dyson and Community Award recipients.
The Hannah Dyson award will go to both Dylan Cossans and Grace Campbell. Community awards will go to David Fleming and Paul Tosh. There will also be an additional award to the family of the late Ian Balgowan, in recognition of his contribution to Stonehaven. The awards ceremony is on 28th April.
SDCC subgroup reports
It was agreed to donate the recently purchased specialist defibrillator to SAS Wildcat Cardiac Responders, with the proviso that it is retained for use in Stonehaven. They will then maintain and insure the defibrillator and supply the necessary consumables.
The communication subgroup has been investigating how to keep the public informed and engaged. They plan initial regular updates, followed by potential improvements to the website, and more use of social media. In the course of investigating how other community councils in Scotland communicate they discovered Darvel Community Lottery. Darvel is a small town of approximately 2500 residents, and they raise around £30,000 annually. See here for more details. It was felt that this could provide an opportunity for SDCC to become more proactive in supporting the local community. It was agreed to investigate further and report back.
SDCC reports from outside bodies/committees
The Patient Participation Group detailed upcoming information sessions and reiterated that the group would benefit from a wider input.
AOCB
· It was mentioned that the speed indicator board on Kirkton Road was gone again.
· Concern was raised that the plan for coach parking by the community centre would cause issues with coaches trying to navigate tight corners, particularly when the town is busy.
· Councillor Wendy Agnew has a meeting scheduled with Jim Savage of Aberdeenshire Council, regarding the Invercarron Centre, and a couple of community council members who are available will join them.
· Dates on the agenda for next meetings were corrected to AGM followed by business meeting on Tuesday 13th May.
The final part of the meeting was conducted in private.