The latest Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee meeting was held on Tuesday 1st July at Viewmount. The agenda and supporting reports are available here, along with the recordings of the public part of the meeting.
The main reports presented and discussed were
· Land at New Mains of Ury, Stonehaven (the “Tesco” planning application)
· Land at Cowgate, Stonehaven
· Sheltered Housing Review
· EIS Area Performance update 2024/2025
· K&M Area Committee Budget 2025/26
· K&M Community Council Grants 2025/26
Application for full planning permission for Retail store, EV charging hub and Café at New Mains of Ury
Following the usual formalities councillors moved straight into discussing the report, generally known within Stonehaven as the Tesco application. The public area was full when the meeting started, showing how much strong feeling there is locally in relation to the application. As has been widely reported councillors chose to recommend that the application be granted. More detail on the discussion can be found in a separate article here.
Application for 4 Houses and 6 Flats on land at Cowgate, Stonehaven
A presentation was delivered, explaining with diagrams and photographs, what was proposed for the site of the old gas works in the heart of the old town. Various proposals, including for a care home, have been refused previously. The councillors discussed this proposal at some length, expressing concerns about the narrow access roads, footpaths, parking provision and access for construction traffic. However, they were reassured on all their concerns, and deciding that it was a sympathetic design for the area they agreed unanimously to accept the recommendation to approve the application.
Sheltered Housing Review
Councillors were asked to acknowledge the review and provide comments to the Communities Committee on the proposals which affect Mearns Court sheltered housing complex in Laurencekirk. There are 56 complexes within Aberdeenshire, and 17 are being reviewed, with only Mearns Court within K&M. Following the presentation of the report councillors expressed significant concerns about the proposals. They highlighted that the complex is currently fully occupied, with no other local equivalent provision. They also expressed doubts that residents fully appreciated the significance of the surveys which have been conducted regarding the future of the service. Comments to go to the Communities Committee include the fact that the complex is currently fully occupied, therefore 20 tenants would have to be rehoused; finance appears to be taking precedence over vulnerable tenants; the process is going too quickly and the impact on residents and the local community hasn’t been given enough weight.
Environment and Infrastructure Services (EIS) Area update 2024/2025
Alan Wood, director of EIS, presented this report, highlighting successes and areas for improvement. There are 13 key indicators, and 7 are meeting targets, 3 are at alert and 3 are data only. Key successes are the low level of tenant rent arrears and the time to issue building warrants. Areas for improvement include repairing street lighting faults within 7 days, but as two new electricians have recently been appointed this should improve shortly. The demand for housing in Stonehaven and Portlethen has resulted in some challenges for the homelessness team.
As required councillors considered and commented on the report.
K&M Area Committee Budget 2025/26
The following applications were made the to the K&M Area Committee budget, and all were agreed
· Luthermuir Hall and Park Committee – £1,240
· OaKley ASN Ltd – £3,000
· Dunnottar Pipes and Drums – £ 658.99
· Stonehaven Town Partnership – £3,000
· Mearns Youth Football Club – £2,877
· Auchenblae Parks Committee for £3,000 (agreed in principle subject to the full funding package being assembled)
This leaves a remaining balance of £20,824.01.
K&M Community Council Grants 2025/26
Aberdeenshire Council grants funding each year to Community Councils for admin and running costs. This year the allocation has been calculated as a base figure of £600, with the remainder being allocated on a per elector basis. For K&M this gives Stonehaven and District Community Council £1,748. There will be strengthened monitoring to ensure this is spent on admin and running costs and identified as such in their audited accounts.
The final item, relating to the K&M Annual Estate Plan 2025/26 was discussed in private.
A series of recordings of the meeting are now available online, on the Council’s YouTube channel.