We Asked, You Said, We Will

We asked

The Auchenblae Parks Committee submitted an Asset Transfer request to take ownership of the former Public Conveniences in the village of Auchenblae. The proposal was to renovate one half of the building into communal toilets with a disabled cubicle and baby changing area. The other half of the building to be used for storage facilities for a number of local groups in the area to store their equipment. The community were asked for their views on whether they supported or objected to the proposal.

You said

We received 10 representations in relation to the proposal with most views supporting the plan to offer toilet facilities again. A number of comments made reference to the importance of having public toilets and should be delivered by the Local Authority. However, the running of public toilets is not a statutory duty of Local Authorities and due to reduction in budgets it has been necessary to reduce some functions in order to direct funding to our core statutory activities. The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 encourages and empowers communities to take ownership of assets that Local Authorities can no longer afford to manage. All of the documents relating to the Asset Transfer request and public comments can be viewed on the Council’s website – Asset Transfer - Auchenblae Public Toilets - Aberdeenshire Council.

We will

The Asset Transfer request was considered at the Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee on 12 June 2024 and unanimously agreed that this was a worthy proposal. The Council will now formally transfer the Public Convenience building to the Auchenblae Parks Committee.

We asked

People living in Aberdeenshire who have received or are in the process of receiving a diagnosis of dementia, should be offered one year of support to help them and their family. This is known as post diagnostic support. Post diagnostic support is provided by our Older Adult Community Mental Health Teams and was previously also provided by Alzheimer Scotland.

The Partnership ran some engagement sessions in Summer 2023 to hear about and understand people’s experiences of receiving a diagnosis of dementia and the support that followed. We held 3 face to face events in Peterhead, Ellon and Banchory and asked people to complete a survey to give us their views.

We would like to thank everyone who completed the survey or attended a face-to-face session. Your feedback has enhanced our understanding of what is important to people living with dementia and unpaid carers in Aberdeenshire, and we used this information to support some areas of work moving forward.

You said

People with a diagnosis of dementia told us that they found the support provided from the Older Adult Community Mental Health Team’s 'very helpful.'

Families / Relatives told us:

'We had excellent support from CMHT and SALT.'

'Helped with forms and visited, will keep in touch for a year.'

Relative 'with dementia was unaware of support offered but I found it helpful.'

'Wouldn’t have managed without the support of the mental health nurses.'

How we will use your feedback

We Asked

In February we published a draft calendar for the school holidays, term dates, and in-service days for the next five years (2025/26 through to 2029/30) to gather the views of parents, carers, pupils, staff and the wider public before dates were finalised.

You Said

We received a total of 7381 responses to this survey of which:

• 2025/26 – 83% responded yes or no preference to the proposed term dates and holiday pattern.
• 2026/27 – 79% responded yes or no preference to the proposed term dates and holiday pattern.
• 2027/28 – 81% responded yes or no preference to the proposed term dates and holiday pattern.
• 2028/29 – 82% responded yes or no preference to the proposed term dates and holiday pattern.
• 2029/30 - 82% responded yes or no preference to the proposed term dates and holiday pattern.

We Will

The school holiday, term dates, and in-service dates for 2025/26 through to 2029/30 were approved by Committee on the 30^th May 2024 and will shortly be published on our website.

Aberdeenshire Council, on behalf of the Health and Social Care Partnership, purchase support at home services from private and third sector care providers that have a place on a framework agreement. Support at Home Services are for people who meet eligibility criteria aged 16 years and over with a range of needs, who require assistance through visiting or 24/7 support to live independently and to develop, regain or retain their daily living skills, through provision of personal care, personal support and/or housing support.

We Asked

We asked people who use support at home services in Aberdeenshire to help them live independently for their views on how the framework is running.

You Said

The survey targeted people with experience of support at home services arranged by Social Workers and Care Managers and provided by private and third sector suppliers but responses told us about experiences of care provision in general. Responses indicate not all people are able to access flexible and responsive services when they need them. Those respondents receiving services are having their outcomes met and are positive about service quality; but access to care in some localities is very difficult and people are aware of recruitment challenges.

We Will

The feedback has helped to inform a service review on Support at Home in Aberdeenshire, and it has been shared with the Care at Home Oversight Group and Commissioning and Procurement Group. The current contracts for Support at Home services have been extended to March 31^st, 2026 to provide an opportunity to embed and scale up outcome based approaches and person-centred practice, and to build on collaborative and innovative models of care.

We asked

In early February we published, and invited comments upon, a draft Development Plan Scheme 2024, the document that we are required to publish annually that sets out the timetable for the production of the Local Development Plan, and our proposals for consultation on the content of that document.

You said

Following discussion of the response to that Consultation (the details of which are contained in appendix 2 of the Infrastructure Services Committee held on 19 May 2024) Aberdeenshire Council has agreed a revised Development Plan Scheme that we are now implementing.

The feedback that we received was of huge help to us in finalising this document, which now reflects the observations made by respondents relating to, amongst other things, the clarity of the document, issues related to the risk for further delay to the programme, clarity on the role of Local Place Plans, and providing a separate “FAQ” document to promote better understanding of some of the terms and processes that the Development Plan Scheme refers to.

We will

This approved document has now been published on our website at https://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/planning/plans-and-policies/process-and-timescales/. We hope that you find this document of use to you in understanding how we propose to develop the Local Development Plan, and the opportunities for you to be involved in its production.

We asked

Aberdeenshire Council is committed to fulfilling its duties relating to reducing carbon emissions from transport, creating opportunities for health improvement, and supporting measures to improve access between our settlements. Strategic or longer distance active travel routes provide an alternative option to the car when considering journeys to the shops, visiting friends or travelling to school. Rural routes create more opportunities to access the countryside and can help stimulate local economic growth. Providing high quality routes such as a link between Ellon and Newburgh in particular will be an attractive option for a day trip for locals and visitors alike.

In this public engagement exercise, we provided the feasibility design drawings for the new cycleway, and included street side visualisations of what the scheme may look like if implemented. We have asked the community about their traveling habits, their view about this scheme and finally their opinion about the proposed design.

You said

We have received a total of 502 responses to this survey, with 1,066 recorded visits to the consultation website.

Of those who responded, there is a clear desire for the route to be provided, with 93.6% of respondents indicating that they agree in principle that the route should be built, and 83.5% indicating that the proposed route would encourage them to undertake active travel more regularly. The results also provide insights into the current barriers to active travel which the respondents perceive, and that the proposed route would aid in overcoming those. The majority of respondents indicated that they would most likely use the route for leisure purposes (71.2%), and for cycling (50.3%). With regards to the specifics of the proposed design, 80.4% of respondents felt that the design would be attractive to use, and 96.7% felt that that the proposed path width would be sufficient. A clear preference for a fully-bound tarmacked path was demonstrated, with 59.6% of respondents selecting this option whilst 59.3% of respondents indicated that the surface type was a more important design consideration than the path width.

We will

Develop a final design for the project taking into account the feedback received and comments made from the public engagement and direct stakeholder consultation. We will commission impact assessments to support the design development and will continue to engage positively with affected stakeholders as the project develops.

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.