The last couple of weeks have been very busy with council meetings and local community group agendas as well. Along with other Garioch Area members at the monthly area committee, we approved plans for the new shops at Westhill. It will be exciting to see them take shape in the months ahead.

My monthly surgery last weekend was busier than usual with more interesting cases! This is one of my favourite parts of the job, as I get a chance to meet new faces (and catch up with some familiar ones too), and you never quite know what issues are going to come up.

I attended the Community Development Group (CDG) in Westhill last week also. Items discussed included community based adult learning needs, the Youth Cafe and updates on the wide range of active groups including Duke of Edinburgh, 50+ Group and the Academy Parents Council.

Last Wednesday night saw a very good attendance at the Garioch Area Community Council Forum. Included on the agenda were windturbines, the Local Development Plan and general planning issues. The Forum is a great place for community councillors from all areas to get together and share ideas. We certainly had some lively discussions.

Thursday was full council day with more lively debates. A full round of these can be seen here: http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/news/release.asp?newsID=2973