The latest Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee meeting was held on Tuesday 18th November 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
· Coastal Communities Fund 2024/25 – K&M Area Allocation
· K&M Area Committee Budget Applications 2025/26
· Business Services Area Committee Performance Indicator Report April-Sept 2025
Coastal Communities Fund
K&M received £100,383.05 from the annual Crown Estate funding for 24/25, and because the allocation was made so late in the financial year it could be carried over into 25/26. £59,697.05 is currently unspent, as £49,999 was set aside for Stonehaven promenade works. However, an application to the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund for the majority of the project cost was unsuccessful, so the project is currently on hold. The balance of £9698.05 was unallocated.
Therefore, the committee was asked to approve the allocation of funds to two projects as follows
· £49,999 for rock armour at Tangleha
· £9698.05 for repair of the beach steps on Stonehaven promenade
In discussions it was highlighted how much the coastal path is appreciated, and the amount of work undertaken by volunteers. Councillors then voted to accept the recommendations and approved the funding applications.
K&M Area Committee Budget Applications
Two applications have been made as follows
· Tangleha Artists Collective for £2,968, split between a composting toilet at Tangleha, and specialist-led volunteering days between Muchalls and Cove
· Mill of Benholm Enterprise SCIO for £3,000, towards architect and planning fees and survey costs for extending and enhancing the café area.
Councillors were supportive of both applications, but they also highlighted that there have been several previous applications from these groups, and the committee would like to ensure that the fund is promoted more widely to encourage other community groups to apply. Councillors then voted to accept the recommendations and approved the funding applications.
Business Services Area Committee Performance Indicator Report April-Sept 2025
The committee received the report which covered 15 key performance indicators. Seven of the indicators are green, as they are meeting or exceeding targets, one is amber, or just below target, and the remaining seven are for information only, as they do not have targets. Two of the areas of note were the reduction in call waiting times for Aberdeenshire customer services, and the drop in the number of calls for customer services which are abandoned. The amber indicator relates to the percentage of operational buildings which are suitable for their current use.
In discussion councillors highlighted that they appreciated the layout of the report, which made it straightforward to understand. They also noted that it was a positive report in view of budget constraints.
They queried whether a cascade system for calls could reduce waiting times further, and were assured that different options are being investigated. The volume of calls generally increases when changes are introduced, for example to waste collection, otherwise housing and council tax have most calls. The majority are answered by the first service centre operator, with only more complex issues requiring to be passed on for more specific advice. With no further questions the report was acknowledged and accepted.
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 9th December.