The latest Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee meeting was held on Tuesday 24th March 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 in public were
· Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Q3 Performance Report
· Application for Change of Use for Land at Kilnhill, Laurencekirk
· Draft Aberdeenshire Development Plan Scheme 2026
· Coastal Communities Fund 2024/25 – round 6
Euan Cargill of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) presented the performance report on the third quarter 2025/2026. He described the figures as showing no unusual trends and being as expected for the time of year. Councillors thanked him for his report and also for the SFRS presence at local galas and events. He was questioned on the future of local stations, and he explained there is a service review being conducted, but it is on hold until later in the year. He stated that Inverbervie and Laurencekirk were less likely to face closure, due to their number of calls and strategic locations. Councillors also highlighted that they would be happy to help promote any events, such as breakfast clubs, that local stations plan to hold.
Proposed Dog Park near Laurencekirk
The second report related to an application for change of use from woodland to Dog Park. The planning department recommended refusal of the application because of the potential for it to cause significant adverse impacts upon the residential amenity of nearby properties. It was explained that, unlike machinery noise for example, dog noise was neither predictable nor controllable.
The committee heard from both the applicant and an objector, who both answered councillors’ questions. In debate councillors acknowledged that a dog park would be an asset locally, but they were concerned that the location was unsuitable, due to the proximity of neighbouring houses. A vote was held, and the recommendation to refuse planning permission was upheld by nine votes to three.
Draft Aberdeenshire Development Plan Scheme 2026
Councillors were asked to consider this report and provide comments to be fed back to the Infrastructure Services Committee (ISC). The scheme lays out the process and timescales for formulating the Aberdeenshire Local Development Plan, due for adoption in 2029. From July to October 2025 stage 3, Call for Ideas, was completed, with 280 responses. Engagement events included farmers markets and meetings with community councils.
Councillors comments included appreciation for the wide consultation undertaken, and questions around volume and deliverability of bids. From a total of 374 bids, 77 related to K&M, and the development plan has an emphasis on deliverability. It was also noted that Community Action Plans are important, but the public can be sceptical as to their impact.
Coastal Communities Fund 2024/25 Balance
A balance of £3719.42 remained in this fund following final claims from the successful groups. Due to the short timeframe to utilise this money, the area manager, in consultation with the chair and vice chair of the area committee agreed to reallocate it to the Stonehaven promenade project, to allow it to progress to the next stage, and be ready to go to tender. The committee unanimously ratified this decision.
The final report, an Aberdeenshire Charities Trust application, was heard in private.
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 24th March.