We Asked, You Said, We Will

We asked

The ‘Two Towns: Big Ideas’ grant fund was identified in both the Banff and Macduff Development Partnership Action Plans as a priority project to help the towns develop in the aftermath of the pandemic and cost of living crisis.

Following face-to-face discussions with residents and businesses, together with an online public engagement process, Aberdeenshire Council’s Economic Development service agreed to explore participatory budgeting as a method of tackling this issue.

Participatory budgeting allows residents and the community to express their views and ideas on the town centre through local democracy, and be at the very heart of deciding how public money is spent locally. Community groups, school groups, businesses, charitable organisations and social enterprises were all encouraged to submit applications for grant ranging from £500 up to £5,000, with the submissions being carefully scrutinised against agreed criteria by a funding panel comprising representatives of the private sector, community council, council officers and chair of the Banff and Buchan Area Committee Cllr Doreen Mair.

While the number of applications didn’t quite trigger the voting element of the participatory budgeting process, the following successful groups are eager to kickstart their various projects.

You said

Six eligible community project applications were received following a public call for applications between December 2023 – January 2024. The projects range from cultural celebrations to the creation of an inclusive space for a host of social and creative activities.

Banff Castle Community Association - £4500

To embark on a journey into the cultural legacy of Banffshire at a distinguished festival, where the performances of six esteemed pipe bands and the artistry of Highland dancing converge in an elegant display. Visitors can partake in culinary excellence, participate in cultural activities, and immerse themselves in a family atmosphere.

Banff Academy - £5000

A project supporting young people to develop their ideas for a youth-led Youth Hub into a viable business proposal and physical hub with support from community partners. Pupils at Banff Academy’s Learning/Support Hub have deemed this as vital to addressing the lack of opportunities/spaces for teenagers locally, and in decreasing antisocial behaviour.

Banff Academy - £5000

Empowering young local citizens to make positive changes and create a lasting sense of pride in our towns, through community connected projects showcasing attractive local offerings for residents and visitors.

Cattleskate Academy - £3870

This non-profit initiative brings coaching sessions and community events to Banff's free-to-use skatepark. Cattleskate is not just teaching skateboarding – it is cultivating a thriving community. This project enhances well-being, fostering inclusivity and actively contributing to the upkeep and improvement of Banff skatepark.

Banff Preservation & Heritage Society - £1772

General Jose de San Martin, Liberator of Argentina, Chile and Peru became a Freeman of Banff in 1824.Celebrate a summer of activities and exhibitions, focusing on August 17-19. The society will develop and create an exhibition which will be run in the Museum of Banff from mid-June 2024 to end of September. This exhibition will be free to members of the public and the museum will work with our local schools to create resources around this. The exhibition will be part of an exciting programme of events organised by Duff House, Banff Preservation and Heritage Society and Museum of Banff and Banff Castle.

The Forge - £5000

The Forge Banff CIC believes that the future of the High Street lies in activity and creativity. We want to bring something special to Banff, through the renovation of the outside space at the Forge to create an accessible and inclusive space wherein a variety of social and creative activities can be enjoyed.

We will

Grant offer letters have been issued to all successful applicants with the first 50% grant award payments being processed. Projects will be delivered over the course of the next 5 months and must be complete by 30 September 2024.

Following this project delivery partners will provide written reports on their projects, outputs and outcomes and expenditure in accordance with the terms and conditions of their grant offer letters.

Further information on the projects will be shared regularly over the coming months on the Banff and Macduff Two Towns Big Ideas Facebook page.

We asked

We conducted an informal survey to gain the views and comments on the anomaly area within the Lumphanan School catchment which meant some of the catchment area was zoned for Alford Academy instead of the cluster secondary school of Aboyne Academy.

You said

The results of the informal survey were that the majority (91%) of participants living within the catchment anomaly area believe their address should be zoned for Aboyne Academy for secondary education.

We will

A Statutory Consultation was developed to rezone the anomaly area to the Aboyne Academy instead of Alford Academy. The consultation ran from 5th September 2023 until 3rd November 2023. A public meeting was held on 14th September 2023 in Lumphanan School. An online survey and pupil consultation was also part of the consultation. The results of the survey were that the majority of participants (62.4%) believe the anomaly should be rezoned to Aboyne Academy and there was positive feedback from the public meeting and pupil consultation. On 21st March 2024 Education and Children’s Services Committee approved the rezoning of Aboyne Academy catchment to include an area anomaly within the Lumphanan School catchment area currently zoned to Alford Academy. These changes will take place from August 2024 and from that point the whole of the Lumphanan School catchment area will be zoned to Aboyne Academy.

We asked

Following the emergency closure of Aboyne Bridge, a community drop-in event and an online survey took place to gather feedback from residents.

You said

274 people completed the survey to let us know of the issues and challenges they faced on a daily basis by the urgent bridge closure. Some of these issues we were aware of and some we were not. Discussions are now ongoing to try and alleviate some of these challenges. One of the main issues raised was communication; the community did not feel that they were being kept informed.

We will

Plans are now in place to produce a monthly update to keep people informed about what is happening with the bridge. This update will be available on Engage Aberdeenshire, and also offline as we were made aware that not everyone affected is online. As part of the plan to keep the community informed, we also aim to issue Frequently Asked Questions.

We asked

The Kincardine and Mearns Youth Club submitted an Asset Transfer request for a 30-year lease of the former Sea Cadet Building in Stonehaven. The community was asked for their views on whether they supported or objected to the proposal.

You said

We received 16 representations in support of the proposal with no objections being received. All the documents relating to the Asset Transfer request and public comments can be viewed on the Council’s website – Asset Transfer - Aberdeenshire Council.

We will

The Asset Transfer request was considered at the Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee on 12 December 2023 and due to Councillors taking a different view from the Officers’ recommendation the matter was subsequently referred to the Business Services Committee on 29 February 2024 for final determination. The request was approved and Aberdeenshire Council will now conclude the 30-year lease of the former Sea Cadet building to the Kincardine and Mearns Youth Club.

We asked

With the National BSL Plan being published in late 2023, Aberdeenshire Council requires to develop a local plan that could support the national actions within a local context. As part of the development of our local BSL plan, we asked for views on the priority areas in the National Plan. These were:

• BSL Accessibility
• Children Young people and their Families
• Access to Employment
• Health and Social Care
• Celebrating BSL Culture
• Transport

You said

The survey was open to all residents of Aberdeenshire Council though was specifically targeted at the Deaf Community and their families. While we asked for responses on six areas of priorities, most responses were focused on accessibility and Social Services.

We will

The feedback has been shared with the six Area Committees, Education and Children Services Committee as well as the Integrated Joint Board. As a result, more emphasis has been placed on accessibility within the draft plan with the Health and Social Care Partnership looking at the social services part of the feedback. All this will be shared with Business Services Committee. After approval from committee, work will start on the actions within the BSL Plan.

We asked

We asked for opinions and feedback from residents, organisations and stakeholders across Aberdeenshire on various issues related to transport and travel. The consultation period ran from June to September 2023 and was designed to gather feedback on specific transport themes of particular relevance to Aberdeenshire. The 10 papers and associated questions presented included:

• Mobility as a Service (MaaS)
• Public Transport
• E-bikes, E-Scooters and E-Cargo Bike
• Walking, Cycling and Wheeling
• Low Emission Vehicles
• Changing Behaviour
• Freight Movements and Last Mile Deliveries
• Place Making and Planning
• Road Network and Safety
• Your Views on the Current Local Transport Strategy

You said

Analysis of feedback to the consultation exercise identified particular transportation issues which presented barriers to the adoption of more sustainable alternatives with particular relevance to Aberdeenshire as a large rural authority. The most significant issue identified was the lack of an extensive public transport network as well as reliability and punctuality of the existing services.

We will

The consultation responses were evaluated, and a public consultation report was prepared. Analysis of the findings from the public consultation are being use to formulate strategic aims and objectives which will be incorporated into the development of the updated local transport strategy. We hope to publish the updated strategy towards the end of Summer 2024, but will keep residents updated.

We asked

Aberdeenshire Council’s Economic Development department invited Peterhead businesses to provide their answers to a series of questions to determine whether there was a current need for a Business Group within the area. The questions were aimed at businesses in and around the Peterhead area in order to determine what support is currently needed and to help shape future projects led by the council’s Place Economy Team alongside other external partners.

You said

There was a total of 15 responses to the survey. It was clear to see that there are challenges faced by businesses in the area and that the vast majority felt a business group would help tackle some of the issues that are currently being faced. Support must be of value and must be agreed upon as a community, rather than rolled out without consultation.

We will

The survey results will be shared with all relevant parties, including elected members for Peterhead and internally to the Area Management Team and the Place Economy Team. Business Group meetings will be held once a month where further information will be circulated to group members, as well as looking at how future support and activities can be shaped going forward.

We asked

Towards the end of 2023, we engaged with the local community for feedback on our proposed route connecting Montgarrie and Alford. The proposed route linked up existing paths through Haughton Country Park. We asked if you supported the proposed route and what the main barriers were to travelling actively. We also asked if you supported investment in active travel to encourage people to choose walking and cycling over travelling by car.

You said

Around 64% of respondents expressed support for our suggested route with 74% stating that they would use the route for leisure or travel. Regarding investment in active travel, 67% believe that this will encourage people to use their cars less. You told us that the main barriers to travelling by foot, bicycle or wheelchair were a lack of appropriate routes and safety concerns.

Following the outcome of our engagement, we have continued to work on our original proposal with the aim of designing an appropriate route which is accessible for all users but also in-keeping with the natural environment. The chosen route was designed to find a balance between using the most direct route and utilising the existing paths whilst causing the least disruption to the environment and making the most of the natural features. Whilst we are unable to provide lighting on this route due to environmental and engineering restrictions, other safety concerns are being considered such as the addition of handrails on steep sections and safe road crossings. The chosen route follows rural paths away from traffic and busy roads.

We will

We are now looking for your input on the finer details of the route to ensure the finalised path is safe and accessible for everyone. We are also looking for your ideas and feedback to understand how the community can get the best use out of the path so that walking, cycling or wheeling can be your first choice of travel between Alford and Montgarrie.

Following your feedback, we will make any final amendments to the route and aim to start construction in late Spring/early Summer. Please view the updated path design under recent documents and complete the survey to give us your thoughts. The survey should take a few minutes.

We asked

To support businesses, whether new, existing, or start-ups, high street, out of town or virtual, Aberdeenshire Council’s Economic Development department invited Fraserburgh businesses to provide their answers to a series of general ‘how’s business’ questions. The questions were to provide an understanding of the business environment in Fraserburgh to help influence future support and projects led by the council’s Place Economy Team, Enterprising Aberdeenshire, Business Gateway and Broch Businesses Together. The survey was promoted by Aberdeenshire Council, Broch Businesses Together and Fraserburgh Enterprise Hub.

You said

There was a total of 15 responses. It is a crucial time for businesses as they navigate through the current challenges being faced including the cost-of-living crisis, the ongoing economic impacts from global events and the Covid-19 pandemic and responding to changing needs and demands in wider society of how they access products and services.

Key Survey Results:

Over 86% of respondents stated that there is a need for additional support services for Fraserburgh businesses.

The top four types of support respondents thought would benefit their business and the town itself were i) Fraserburgh town centre development, ii) accessing external funding, iii) community and public events, and iv) business events i.e. networking and training.

Over the past three years, respondents said that business turnover was up or not changed, business profitability had increased or not changed, and the cost of doing business had significantly increased.

Looking ahead to the next three years, respondents forecast that they will have an increase in turnover and profitability, a significant increase in the cost of doing business, and expect no change or an increase in footfall.

We will

The survey results will be shared with the elected members for Ward 3 – Fraserburgh and District, the business community of Fraserburgh, and internally within the council with relevant services including Place & Economy, Enterprising Aberdeenshire and the Area Management Team. The data will be used to shape future support programmes and initiatives to support the economy of the local area to address the challenges and areas of support identified.

The full survey result report can be viewed here: Documents | Fraserburgh Business Survey | Engage Aberdeenshire

We asked

While Aberdeenshire Early Years continually seeks feedback on the provision of Early Learning and Childcare (ELC), the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 requires all Local Authorities to consult with families on their views of funded ELC. As such, parents/carers, and the wider community were asked their views on the flexibility and suitability of provision. We asked how families were accessing provision, where they were going to access their funded ELC, how much of their full entitlement was being accessed in order to understand demand and whether or not it was felt that the current provision met the needs of families.

You said

In total the survey received 842 responses from parents and carers living in Aberdeenshire council. The survey was open to parents to be, carers and extended family members, to ensure that as many perspectives were captured in the responses as possible.

Although most responses are using their full entitlement of funded hours (30 hrs/wk), a quarter of them are not. The main reason for the 43.1% who do not use their full entitlement is – either they don’t require it or their child is doing some other extra activities somewhere else. A notable number (82.7%) of respondents are happy with the provision of 1140hrs of funded EL&C in their area (i.e., Local Authority settings, Funded Providers Settings and Childminders).

A significant number (70.5%) of respondents agree that the currently funded EL&C offer meets their family needs, however, a small portion (29.5%) disagree due to their working patterns, their children being less-than-3-year-old, there being no childminders available in their vicinity, or their preferences were in “out-of-school clubs”. Similarly, around 85.9% of respondents are clear enough to understand the funded hours options. When asked, “If additional hours were made available at a cost at a Local Authority setting, is this something you would consider using?” almost two-thirds of respondents replied “Yes” or “May be”.

The high preference (42.6%) of respondents to choose the EL&C setting: a place where their children will attend school later. he second interest was the location, i.e., close to their home, and the third was the ELC-setting. The respondents are less interested in patterns of attendance that suit their needs; such as close to work, flexible hours, and so on, while choosing the EL&C setting. Similarly, a considerable number (61.2%) of respondents are interested if more outdoor provisions would be offered to them for their children. Although half of the respondents thought there is no barrier to accessing funded EL&C, fewer found “Timing” - 9:00AM to 3:00PM is a major barrier for them.

We will

The Feedback was shared with Senior Management in Aberdeenshire Council and it has resulted in more detailed consultations taking place in 5 areas across Aberdeenshire. As a result, models of delivery of early learning and childcare (ELC) have been adapted to support families in accessing more of their funded entitlement. In Ellon and Aboyne, Council ELC settings have changed from offering 8am to 6pm to offering a hybrid of 8am to 6pm and 9am to 3pm. Plans are being made to carry out similar, more detailed consultation in areas all across Aberdeenshire, to better understand the childcare needs of families. The information will be shared with elected members in each of the six administration areas across Aberdeenshire. The information from these consultations will be used to shape the Aberdeenshire Council model for ELC delivery for 2025/26.