The latest Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee meeting was held on Tuesday 28th October at Viewmount. The agenda and supporting reports are available here, along with the recordings of the public part of the meeting.
The reports presented and discussed were
· Mill O’Forest School and nursery inspection report
· Glenbervie School inspection report
· St Cyrus School and nursery inspection report
· Kincardine and Mearns Speed Limit Order
· Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership (AHSCP) Strategic Delivery Plan Performance Report and Draft Strategic Plan
Mill O’Forest School and Nursery Inspection Report
Following the usual formalities the committee received a presentation on the Mill O’Forest School and Nursery class inspection. Details of the inspection can be found here, but in summary the school was graded as weak for both Learning, Teaching and Assessment and for Raising Attainment and Achievement. The nursery was graded was good for both Learning, Teaching and Assessment and for Securing Children’s Progress. It was agreed that this was accurate at the time of the inspection, but work had already begun to improve standards with four key areas for improvement already identified. These include promoting consistency across the school, safeguarding and wellbeing and the pace and challenge of learning and teaching. A new head teacher has been in post since August, and she has been focusing on the areas for improvement. Additional intensive support from the local authority is also in place.
Councillors’ questions covered concerns including bullying, staff morale, timescales for implementing changes and the provision of 1+2 language learning. The head teacher and Aberdeenshire Quality Improvement Officer reassured members of the area committee on all matters raised. There will be a follow up inspection within 12 months to check on improvements.
Glenbervie School Inspection Report
Details of the Glenbervie School inspection report can be found here. Four indicators were assessed with results as follows. Leadership of change and Learning, Teaching and Assessment – both satisfactory. Ensuring Wellbeing, Equality and Inclusion and Raising Attainment and Achievement – both good. Glenbervie has had an unsettled staffing period, which is now resolved, and the head teacher is working with staff on their improvement plan. Some areas for improvement include what makes a good lesson and improving numeracy. Questions asked by councillors covered themes of bullying, behaviour, homework and diversity. The head teacher explained that as a small, rural school they worked hard to raise awareness of diversity.
St Cyrus School and Nursery Inspection Report
Details of the St Cyrus inspection report can be found here. Both the school and nursery received the same grading, with Leadership of Change, Learning, Teaching and Assessment, and Raising Attainment and Achievement evaluated as good, and Ensuring Wellbeing, Equality and Inclusion as very good. The head teacher was thanked for her presentation and congratulated on the positive inspection. One of the areas that the school has identified as a focus is digital literacy.
Kincardine and Mearns Speed Limits Order
This report came before the committee as a result of the 20mph implementation. Various roads, not covered in the traffic order, were suggested by councillors and the public as requiring lower than existing limits. The roads department produced two lists, one of roads which meet the criteria for speed reduction, and the other of roads which do not meet the criteria. Councillors were asked to approve the roads in list one, which will then go for statutory consultation before any implementation. These were all agreed as follows
· A92/A957 junction – permanent 40mph
· A92 at Gourdon – 60mph to 40mph
· B9077 at Kirkton of Durris – 50mph to 40mph
· Downies – 30mph to 20mph
· U135K Greenlaw Road (Chapelton to Newtonhill) – 60mph to 30mph
List two proved more contentious, and the debate included a representative from Arbuthnott Community Council who spoke in favour of speed reduction in that village. The councillors had two options for these roads; either to accept they did not meet the necessary criteria, or refer them to the Infrastructure Services Committee (ISC) with justification as to why they should be approved as an exception to policy. The decisions were as follows
· A92 Benholm/Johnshaven – 60mph to 40 mph – refer to ISC
· A92 through Inverbervie – three variations at entrance and exit from village – refer to ISC
· A92 St Cyrus (south side) – 30mph to 20mph – refer to ISC
· A93 Park – 40mph to 30mph – refer to ISC
· Auchenblae roads – two requests for reduced speed – refer to ISC
· B967 Arbuthnott – 60mph to 30mph – refer to ISC with recommendation of reduction to 40mph
· B979 Stonehaven (towards AWPR roundabout) – 40mph to 30mph – accepted as failing to meet criteria
· Broomhill Road, Stonehaven – 30mph to 20mph – refer to ISC, with recommendation that reduced speed ends beyond cemetery
· U130K North Esk Park – 60mph to 40mph – refer to ISC
· U114K Benholm – 60mph to 30mph – accepted as failing to meet criteria
Following these discussions three further roads were agreed to be investigated further, including Cookston Road (north end) and Cookston Road (past medical centre) in Portlethen and the B974 in Fettercairn.
Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership (AHSCP) Strategic Delivery Plan Performance Report and Draft Strategic Plan
The committee received a presentation on the AHSCP strategic plans, which face multiple challenges including post covid recovery, financial constraints and an aging demographic. Two priorities have been identified in the draft strategic plan which are
· Early intervention and prevention
· Health and social care services supporting those with greatest need in our community
Councillors raised variety of questions and concerns as follows
There one ward in Edenholme closed – are there plans to reopen? AHSCP say they are working to get additional staff resources to reopen this.
X-ray facility at Kincardine Community Hospital. This will reach the end of its life in early 2026. The intention is to replace it with a mobile unit, either a van similar to the breast screening unit, a roll-off facility, or even handheld model. Councillors were assured there would be no gap in provision.
Staff wellbeing during unsettling periods. Staff are being supported through regular team updates. Some are choosing voluntary severance, and there may be redundancies in future.
Independent Living Hub at Forest View. This will launch on 6th November, and will provide opportunities to try out gadgets and technology to support independent living at home. It includes three zones, showing different aspects of day-to-day life.
The per head cost of providing care is affected by this regions aging demographic. Councillors were keen to establish how Aberdeenshire compared with other areas of Scotland, and to campaign for more resources if appropriate.
Kincardine Community Hospital (KCH) consultation. There was a reminder that local councillors fought for this provision in the 1990s, and the public are encouraged to complete the current consultation, which can be found here.
There was a general concern raised that while early intervention is in place, and acute needs are being met, there is a risk that many people may be lost in an “invisible middle” because they don’t fall into either category. It was conceded that this is a risk, but signposting and collaboration with the third sector would pick this up.
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 18th November.