What you told us - What we're doing

What you told us

You shared your views on BT’s proposal to remove 19 public payphone boxes across Aberdeenshire, as they were considered no longer meeting Ofcom’s criteria for retention. Feedback was gathered through Community Councils, Area Managers, and a wider public consultation on Engage Aberdeenshire.

What we're doing

Aberdeenshire Council reviewed all responses and formally objected to the removal of 6 of the 19 payphones. BT has since agreed to retain 2 of these boxes in Gardenstown and Hatton of Fintray, where mobile coverage was found to be insufficient. The Council has also requested a review of BT’s decision to proceed with removals in Ballater and Kemnay. Additionally, some communities are choosing to adopt redundant kiosks for alternative local use.

You can view the original page here: Proposed Removal by BT of 19 Public Call Boxes in Aberdeenshire | Engage Aberdeenshire

What you told us

In February 2025, the Aberdeenshire Integration Joint Board (IJB) considered a report regarding the delivery of the IJBs Equality Outcomes 2020 – 2024. The report also outlined the feedback received from the engagement undertaken in October 2024 to help develop the IJBs revised Equality Outcomes.

As agreed with the IJB in February 2025, consultation on the Aberdeenshire IJBs 3 draft Equality Outcomes was undertaken with Aberdeenshire public and Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care (AHSCP) staff in March and April 2025. This included online surveys and a series of facilitated conversations with community groups, including key equality groups. The public and AHSCP staff surveys asked respondents to indicate if each of the draft outcomes were easy to understand, the perceived importance of each of the outcomes, and provided contributors with an opportunity to provide other comments – including indicating if there were other issues that could be taken into consideration in finalising the outcomes. In addition to this, the AHSCP staff survey asked respondents how they and their service or team could support the delivery of the outcomes.

Overall, respondents felt that the draft Equality Outcomes were easy to understand and were perceived to be important. The Outcomes were as follows:

• Draft Equality Outcome 1 – People with protected characteristics in Aberdeenshire have improved health and wellbeing outcomes through the adoption of an equality driven culture within the Aberdeenshire Health & Social Care Partnership;
• Draft Equality Outcome 2 – People with protected characteristics in Aberdeenshire are aware of Aberdeenshire Health & Social Care Partnerships services and how to access them;
• Draft Equality Outcome 3 – People with key protected characteristics, their families and organisations that support them are involved in the planning and decision making around our service delivery

Key issues highlighted from the engagement work on the draft set of new Equality Outcomes included the importance of everyone being treated equally; the opportunity to access services in a flexible way; the importance of communicating in a clear and simple way, and the need to be aware of potential digital exclusion.

For AHSCP staff, the importance of having up to date information/advice available and having awareness of available training opportunities were highlighted. However, staff also highlighted perceived challenges in supporting the delivery of the outcomes due to staff recruitment and budget constraints.

What We’re Doing

The Integration Joint Board will receive a report on the key findings from the consultation on the new draft Equality Outcomes in September 2025, after which the Outcomes will be finalised and an Action Plan developed.

You can view the original page here: Aberdeenshire Health & Social Care Partnership Equality Outcomes 2024-2028: 2nd stage staff consultation | Engage Aberdeenshire

What you told us

The Tackling Poverty & Inequalities Strategic Partnership within Aberdeenshire Council asked members of the public to provide comment and feedback on the Information & Advice Framework/services currently in place.

Key Findings

• Those who access Information & Advice services want a 'tell your story once' approach to get the right support at the right time.
• Overall online support tools were viewed positively as long as they are used alongside engagement with people – not replacing this.
• Raising awareness of what support is available needs to increase.
• Improve feedback loops to ensure services are reflecting local needs.
• Expansion of outreach services is needed (home visits, face to face drop-ins etc.) especially in the more rural areas of Aberdeenshire.

What We’re Doing

This feedback was used to create an Information & Advice draft strategy. This draft has been shared with all six Area Committees and will be put to Communities Committee for approval and if agreed will be implemented beginning in March 2026.

This strategy aims to encompass the needs of anyone in Aberdeenshire who may engage with Information & Advice services at any stage of their lives.

You can view the original project page here: Information and Advice Review | Engage Aberdeenshire

What you told us

Live Life Aberdeenshire (LLA) wanted to understand your experiences and what you thought about our 'Spring into Easter' 2025 programme. Participants were asked to share which areas they and their families attended activities in, along with the age ranges of those involved. Feedback was gathered on how likely they would be to book or attend future school holiday programmes based on their experience with the ‘Spring into Easter’ initiative. The survey also explored interest in additional activities not currently offered, perceptions of affordability and value for money, and whether respondents wished to receive updates about future Live Life Aberdeenshire (LLA) activities and services.

We received a strong indication from respondents, that people of all ages, attend the full range of activities on offer across all geographical areas we delivered in.

• 25 Participants aged P1-P3
• 15 Participants aged P4-P7
• 3 Participants aged Pre-School
• 6 Participants aged S1 and above

Future Programmes

The majority of respondents were happy with the content and expressed interest in attending future programmes. Only a minority of respondents identified alternative activities that they would like to see included in our programmes.

Affordability

A significant proportion of respondents confirmed that the pricing was affordable, and sessions were value for money.

Future Contact

A substantial majority indicated they would like ongoing updates from Live Life Aberdeenshire (LLA) about future activities and services.

Conclusion

Children aged 5–12 continue to be the primary audience, with many families willing to travel in search of diverse and engaging activities across Aberdeenshire. Our exciting Summer Holiday Programme Summer of Play - Live, Life Aberdeenshire is designed to meet these needs, offering a wide range of accessible and varied activities throughout the region to ensure all young people have opportunities to participate and enjoy.

What we're doing

Based on these insights, we will use this feedback to inform our planning and explore options for future holiday programme provision. As we develop any new initiatives or pilots, we’ll provide further updates so you can stay informed about potential opportunities for your children.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their views. Your input is invaluable in helping us understand community needs and consider how best to deliver holiday activities in the future.

You can view the original project here: Spring into Easter 2025 Feedback | Engage Aberdeenshire

What you told us

The majority of respondents supported the Board’s Draft Equality Policy.

• 50% of respondents in full.

• 25% of respondents in part.

The respondent who supported the policy in part felt that this could be enhanced by including more specific measures highlighting a reduction in any equalities complaints. The respondent who did not support the policy felt that this was simply unnecessary.

What we're doing

The comments received were considered by officers and the draft policy was updated prior to consideration by the Board. Officers included further measures based on the management of complaints.

Officers ensured that all comments received were presented to the Board as part of the final report and that additional clarification on these was provided. These addressed the concerns that the policy was unnecessary, confirming that this was a statutory requirement and one which is fully supported by the Board, this being integral to the work that they do.

These also addressed the nature of the new measures added and provided an explanation as to why the specific measure put forward within the consultation i.e. ‘a reduction in equalities complaints’ could not be included, this was because no such complaints had ever been received by the Board.

The Board considered these comments and the updated draft policy at their meeting on the 30^th of April 2025 and approved the Policy, subject to this coming back for consideration once further guidance has been published regarding the UK Supreme Court’s decision in ‘the case ‘For Women Scotland Ltd. v The Scottish Members (UKSC/2024/0042)’ and the definition of ‘sex’ for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010..

The policy is a living document, the Board will monitor this throughout its lifetime and welcome any further comments and suggestions in respect of this, details of how you this can be done can be found within the Policy which is available here.

The original consultation can be found here: Aberdeenshire Licensing Board's Equality Policy 2025 - 2029 | Engage Aberdeenshire

What you told us

The Council proposed to discontinue education at Clatt School, which had been mothballed since August 2022. The catchment area of the school was proposed to be re-assigned to either Kennethmont School or Rhynie School. To gather opinions on this proposal, a statutory consultation was conducted from 4th September to 8th November 2024, including a public meeting on 1st October 2024 at Clatt Village Hall and an online survey. The consultation process also included discussions with pupils and staff from the affected schools.

Survey Results: Out of 23 survey participants, 56% supported the closure of Clatt School and 34% preferred Option 2: realigning the Clatt catchment area to Rhynie School.

Public Engagement: Members of the public attended the public meeting and a minute was taken and is published on the Aberdeenshire Council website.

Pupil Feedback: Pupils from both Kennethmont and Rhynie Schools were consulted on the proposal and identified potential benefits and challenges of integrating Clatt pupils into either school.

Staff Feedback: Staff were also consulted on the proposal.

What we're doing

The consultation findings, including feedback from surveys, discussions, and the Education Scotland report, were reviewed by Council officers.

The consultation report was presented at Marr Area Committee on 18th February 2025, followed by Education and Children’s Services Committee on 20th March 2025 and the final decision on the proposal was made by Full Council on 24th April 2025. On 19th June 2025, Scottish Ministers upheld the Council’s decision to close Clatt School and realign its catchment area to Rhynie School.

As of 23rd June 2025, Clatt School is permanently closed, with its catchment area officially realigned to Rhynie School to ensure the sustainability of rural education.

What you told us

Aberdeenshire Council asked people in the local community to help choose a new play structure for Green Road play park in Huntly. The existing equipment is no longer in good condition and needs to be replaced. We also asked the community if they would like to see a new cone climber installed at Cooper Park, as the previous unit was removed due to being irreparable.

Green Road: Submissions for two suppliers were put forward with the item below receiving 64% of the votes.

Cooper Park: 83% percent of participants voted that they would like to see a new cone climber installed in the park

What we're doing

Aberdeenshire Council’s Landscape Services have ordered the new play equipment, which will be put in place over the next few months.

You can view the original project here: Cooper Park and Green Road, Huntly | Engage Aberdeenshire

What you told us

Meiklemill Primary School asked families about how they travel to school and what they think about the journey, to better understand any problems and help make decisions. Surveys were sent out to all families, with 62 responses received.

All pupils also took part in the survey. Primary 1 to 3 pupils were asked questions about how they travelled to school, while the Primary 4 to 7 pupils were asked to expand on some of these points. The aim of the survey was to gather opinions on routes to Meiklemill primary school, how people travelled from home to school, why they did this and any barriers they faced to travel activity. Main points from the survey were:

• 50% of children either walk or cycle to school. Driving levels are around 26% and ‘Park and stride’ is sitting at 16%.
• The main barriers that were identified to active travel was distance (30% for walking, 26% for cycling), time (26% for walking, 17% for cycling), followed by the weather (11% for walking and 15% for cycling). Roads being too dangerous and having too much to carry as well as ‘other’ were also reasons.
• Pupils felt the main barriers to walking and cycling was distance for walking, and roads being too dangerous for cycling.
• Parent/ carers and pupils were then asked if there were concerns around safety at the school gate. More people agreed than disagreed that children were safe around the school gate. However more people agreed than disagreed that cars and buses caused concerns around the school gate.
• The main concerns that were raised in relation to the school gate were: illegal parking, congestion (from vehicles on the road and pedestrians on the pavement), speeding and poor parking.

What we're doing

Meiklemill School will go over the feedback and talk with pupils about what can be done to improve things. The school are keen to continue working on their Living Street WOW scheme which looks to provide incentives to pupils who actively travel to school.

The school will also look into the development of a school travel plan which provides helpful information to families on how to travel to school and how they can play an important role in keeping everyone safe around the school gate. This work will be ongoing.

You can view the original project here: Meiklemill Primary School: Travel to School Survey | Engage Aberdeenshire

What you told us

Aberdeenshire Council published the Draft Development Plan Scheme (DPS) 2025–2026 to gather feedback from the public, community councils, and development professionals. The aim was to check if the proposed processes and timeline for preparing the next Local Development Plan (LDP) were clear and appropriate, and to understand how people wanted and could be involved. The consultation ran from 10 February to 24 March 2025 and was promoted through various channels including newsletters, social media, and direct invitations.

Only eight people responded to the consultation, despite a good number of visits to the online hub. Here’s what they said:

• Clarity of the document: Most people found the document clear and easy to understand. One person thought the font and illustrations were hard to read, and another found the timetable confusing.
• Timetable and terminology: Some feedback suggested that using “quarters” to describe time was unclear and that acronyms like “SEA” and “DPMTAG” should be explained better. There was also a suggestion to use months or seasons instead.
• Engagement methods: Most respondents were happy with the proposed ways to engage at each stage. However, one person raised concerns about relying too much on digital engagement, which might exclude some groups, especially young people and those less digitally connected.
• Call for Ideas: Some people wanted more clarity on what 'community ideas' meant and who could submit them. There were also suggestions to extend the time allowed for submitting ideas, especially from developers.
• Local Place Plans: One person found this part unclear but didn’t explain why.
• General comments: One person felt the process was too long and hard to follow. Homes for Scotland supported the inclusion of the Call for Ideas and asked for more in-person engagement and a clear method for assessing development sites.

What we're doing

• The Council reviewed all feedback and decided that no major changes were needed to the Draft DPS.
• Accessibility features like 'Read Out Loud' and the ability to enlarge PDFs are already in place. Large print versions can be provided on request.
• The Council clarified that the use of 'quarters' follows national planning regulations and that acronyms are explained when first used.
• The Call for Ideas will be open for at least 16 weeks starting in summer 2025, and more details will be shared in due course.
• The Council is committed to using both digital and non-digital engagement methods and will continue to involve young people.
• A draft site selection methodology was already consulted on earlier in 2025 and is being refined based on feedback.
• The Council will continue to engage with developers and other stakeholders, including through meetings and information sharing.

You can view the original project here: Development Plan Scheme 2025 | Engage Aberdeenshire

What you told us

We asked for feedback on playparks across Aberdeenshire. The purpose of this exercise was to understand how you feel about your local playground and what changes, if any, you would like to see. We received 837 responses in total (equivalent survey 3 years ago received 479 responses).

Responses by area were:

• Banff and Buchan: 44
• Buchan: 76
• Formartine: 127
• Garioch: 208
• Kincardine & Mearns: 285
• Marr: 97

Key findings from the survey include:

49% of respondents preferred that play park management remains unchanged, with parks being improved as budget permits. The next most popular option, chosen by 41%, was for local communities to become more involved.

61% felt existing playparks didn’t cater enough for children of all abilities and the same percentage wanted more use of natural play equipment.

A small majority (53%) wanted more seating in play parks but most (63%) felt that they were secure with adequate fencing provided where appropriate.

A small majority (52%) of respondents indicated that there was not enough provision for adult outdoor exercise, including trim trails.

What we're doing

We undertake regular safety inspections on all our play equipment, which allows us to prioritise how we allocate our resources. When we have available resources to replace or improve play park infrastructure, we will engage with communities using Engage Aberdeenshire, our online engagement platform and listen to requests from the community. We encourage and value community feedback.

As we review and improve our play equipment, we have increased the number of inclusive play equipment across Aberdeenshire in recent years. We will continue to review our infrastructure where resources allow.

Unfortunately, in some locations seating has been removed due to antisocial behaviour. The seating attracted groups of non-playpark users as an area to gather. Relocation to another area within the park means that the play area is safer for children to use. We will continue to review the situation in affected areas.

We are keen to support outdoor exercise and, where resources permit, we may consider the installation of trim trails. As with any community request for additional play equipment, we are available to assist communities in seeking funding not available to the council for the creation of these areas. For further discussion, please contact us by emailing: operations@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

Your email will be forwarded to the Landscape Services Officer for your area.

You can view the original project here: Playground Survey 2025 | Engage Aberdeenshire