We Asked, You Said, We Will

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.

We Asked

Following extensive consultation with all school stakeholders as part of the Aberdeenshire Additional Supports Needs Review, recommendations were developed. We asked the public for their views on these recommendations. See Public Consultation summary paper for details of these recommendations.

You Said

133 people attended the consultation events. There was general support for a greater emphasis on all children being included in their mainstream schools. However, there was a strong view that the success of this would be dependent upon the proposed ringfenced Pupil Support Assistant time, and ongoing capacity building work.

There was clear feedback that there should be more consistency of good practice across schools, and that professional learning in meeting additional support needs should not be optional for school staff. A number of suggestions were put forward for additional professional learning topics for schools, and it was suggested that the views and experiences of parents could be incorporated into learning to a greater extent than is currently the case.

There was a request for greater transparency around how levels of need are defined and assessed, and suggested that leaflets should be developed to clearly explain the Enhanced Provision model.

We Will

In response to the key themes that emerged from the public consultation the paper taken to Education and Children’s Service Committee for approval included the following recommendations:

• Ringfenced PSA funding for the early primary stages, along with a new Enhanced Provision Outreach Worker post with a specific focus on supporting children with additional support needs in the early primary stages
• The CIRCLE framework to be rolled-out across Aberdeenshire schools on a mandatory basis
• Core professional learning to be embedded within a range of education posts in the future
• A framework to support the consideration of whether Complex Needs Provision may be suitable for a child or young person, and to aid in the fair allocation of these places by local ASN Forums to be developed
• The voices of children and young people and parents/carers with lived experience to continue to be incorporated into professional learning offers being developed

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 Banff and Macduff area businesses to provide their thoughts regarding the concept of establishing a business network, forum, or group tailored to the needs of businesses in Banff and Macduff. To gather this information a survey was open on EngageHQ from 10 January to 31 January 2024.

After the dissolution of the previous business group, this intervention was identified to actively engage with the business community and support the progress of establishing a new mechanism.

Given the diversity among businesses and sectors, it was acknowledged that a one-size-fits-all approach may not be suitable. The aim was to gauge the interest and demand for a mechanism that facilitates, at the very least, the exchange of ideas, information, events, training opportunities, and potentially even the creation of a formal group.

We also asked respondents some general ‘how’s business’ questions to provide an understanding of the business environment in both towns to help influence future support and projects led by the council’s Place Economy Team, Enterprising Aberdeenshire and Business Gateway and the potential new business group.

You said

There was a total of 32 responses. The responses and comments received were wide ranging, however; the majority of responses were positive and supportive of a new ‘mechanism’ to allow businesses to engage, network and help support the economies of the two towns of Banff and Macduff.

54.8% of respondents would be keen to participate/support the new initiative. The top three areas of support required are access to funding, town centre development, and community and public events. The preference is for evening meetings and events for a business group with the focus of the group’s activity to be on:

• Advertising and Marketing Support
• Funding, grants, sponsorship, shop front grants, business start-up/pop-up business grants
• Local networking opportunities, forum, newsletter
• Prevent duplication of effort
• Get vacant properties back into use, some owners not interested in doing anything with them
• Parking, parking enforcement, 45-minute bays, new car park for Macduff
• Disconnected Community, local politics
• Reducing Footfall, other towns appear more successful i.e. Turriff and Inverurie
• Tourism: maps, Tourist Office, dog friendly status, free water tap

We will

All the feedback has been provided to the elected members for the Banff and Macduff area, shared with the business community of the two towns 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 business support programmes and initiatives to benefit the economy of the local area.

The full report can be found here.

We asked

Following the budget survey last year, we published information about the costs of delivering council services and some of the areas we might need to look at for savings. During this second stage of engagement, we asked how the changes we are considering might affect communities across Aberdeenshire. An article on a particular theme was published each week in the Press and Journal, and readers were asked for their feedback. A link to the newspaper article was also promoted using social media and Engage Aberdeenshire to reach a wider audience.

You said

There was a total of 273 responses. The comments received were wide ranging, however; the majority of responses were regarding schools and education. Participants could choose to respond about more than one topic and could respond about ‘all areas’ if they wished to express an opinion about the budget in general. As a result, the percentage of responses about each topic was as follows:

• 60% included schools and education
• 26% included roads, landscaping, and winter operations
• 19% included all areas
• 16% included leisure services
• 5% included housing

Some common themes included comments about the closure of small schools, additional pupil support, out of school care, winter and road maintenance and the use of leisure facilities.

We will

All of the feedback has been provided to the leader of the council and elected members who chair policy committees, and will be considered when the budget is set on 22 February 2024.

Update - the full budget papers from the meeting on 22 February can be found here: Agenda for Aberdeenshire Council on Thursday, 22nd February, 2024, 10.15 am - Aberdeenshire Council (moderngov.co.uk)

We asked

We asked for comments and views of residents within the village of Dinnet on Primary School Catchment areas. This was a request from the Logie Coldstone Parent Council to expand the Logie Coldstone School zone to include the area of Dinnet. Two surveys took place, the second of which had input from the Logie Coldstone Parent Council with suggestions of which questions to include. The first survey took place in May/June 2022 and the second survey took place in November/December 2023.

You said

On conclusion of the first survey, the majority of Dinnet residents believed their school catchment was the correct one for their postcodes. The second survey concluded with the majority of respondents indicating they would be interested in a consultation regarding school zoning, however there was a very low response rate, conflicting responses and the only comments were requesting a dual zone.

We will

The survey was analysed and concluded and a summary report written. The report was shared with Councillors, Colleagues and the Logie Coldstone Parent Council with the recommendation that no changes take place to the zoning of Dinnet or to the catchment area of Logie Coldstone School as Aberdeenshire Council do not conduct Statutory Consultations to create dual zones. The full report can be found here.