I am disappointed that there has been no local election hustings organised for candidates in Westhill and District. Hustings are a good way for voters to meet their prospective councillors before deciding who gets their vote and the candidates get to meet each other too! If I am lucky enough to be re-elected, I will be one of four councillors for this area.
I thought I would collate the questions I have been asked most, either on the doorsteps or via email/telephone and I set out my responses below. If you have any further questions, there is still time to get in touch! If re-elected, I will, as always, be concentrating on local issues – your priorities are my priorities.
Q: You stated in one of your leaflets that you wanted to promote wellbeing and resilience. If you are re-elected, how are you going to do that?
A: I already work with local groups who have set up or are in the process of setting up resilience hubs. The hubs are a one-stop place where in the event of an emergency, residents can gather for shelter, heat, or food. There is much more work to do to make sure that each individual thinks about their own resilience and what they can do in their own homes to be prepared for different events – whether that is a power cut, a snow storm or anything else. Picking up on the wellbeing strand, I am really keen to bring conversations about health out into the community and to be able to discuss the preventative measures that we often forget about. Access to some health services was severely restricted during lockdown, coinciding with a time when people’s mental health was poor because of bereavement, job loss, loss of social interactions or just the general worry over the pandemic. Physical health and mental health are so inextricably linked and it’s about balancing good access to NHS and other health services with what we can do for ourselves.
Q: Do you want to see council employees (and councillors) back in the office now that Covid restrictions are eased?
A: The council has been working on an Office Space Strategy for some time now looking at how office space can be best utilised. Covid has obviously changed drastically how services can be delivered with very little staff physically in the same building or in a council building at all. Luckily, with previous investment in IT equipment, officers and councillors moved quite seamlessly on to online meetings. The downside of that, I think, is that collaborative working and informal conversation has been lost. More importantly, I think the link between some council services and the public has deteriorated. Many people do not use smart phones or the internet and prefer talking to someone either face to face or by telephone. That very much needs to remain an option for our residents.
For staff and councillors, I think we need a balance and the hybrid model gives us that: online working from home when we can and going in to an office, within easy travelling distance when we need more face to face interaction. I am really keen that all employees within the council are treated fairly and given the chance to work more flexibly – where public services are delivered, no employee group is more important than the other. In terms of meeting the needs of residents, we should all pull together to communicate in the way best suited to the individual or community group.
Q: We live in a rural area – why do councillors never attend our local parent council meetings?
A: councillors cannot attend parent council meetings without being invited. I think as parent councils change from year to year with new parents and office bearers etc coming on board, some school communications get lost or explicit invitation is not circulated. The parent councils we are invited to are really informative and are a good way to pick up on issues that we can help the school community with, so please encourage your parent council chair to extend an invitation.
In general, communication between the Quality Improvement officers for our school cluster has diminished during Covid and through various staff changes and this is something I am really keen to re-establish should I get re-elected.
As a councillor I regularly attend all three community council meetings, parent council meetings when invited, and other local meetings. I make all areas of my ward a priority, and although I live in Elrick, I attend meetings and arrange site visits with residents in Midmar, Millbank, Sauchen, Cluny, Echt, Garlogie, Dunecht, Lyne of Skene, Kirkton of Skene, and Westhill.
Q: Why isn’t there a consistent council policy around the selling off of pockets of land which are of no great value if there is a willing buyer?
A: I agree with you that there has not been consistency in recent years with some spaces being sold off and other offers refused. The Surplus Property policy is in the process of being reviewed and at a recent area committee I supported the view that if a piece of open space has no real recreational value or is a burden for the council to maintain, it should be released. I also think that there are instances where the council does not know exactly which land assets they hold – and they should! At the same area committee I proposed that work commence on a comprehensive mapping exercise and I hope that this can be supported and progressed by the new council.
Q: What are you going to do about the lack of basic maintenance in and around Westhill?
A: I think in terms of grass cutting, we have turned a corner since lockdown days and the town is looking pretty good (so far, but it’s only 2nd May!). There are always going to be pockets of tidying up to do. The frustration for us as councillors is that we cannot always be given a timescale for this work to be done. I think we have to give thanks to the many volunteers who supplement the work of council operatives in terms of litter picking, flower planting and maintenance – and that includes within the rural settlements as well. The lack of street sweeping has a real knock-on effect on road drains, and loose chippings find their way on to pavements if road works are not swept up timeously. I appreciate that the service has had difficulty in recruiting staff to this neck of the woods, but a universal standard of service across Aberdeenshire needs to be provided. If re-elected, the first priority for me is to seek the support of ward colleagues to have a fresh look at how the basics are being delivered across Westhill and District as well as trying to improve communication between the council and the people they serve.
Q: How will you ensure that the projects and ideas from people who live locally are considered and taken forward?
A: most projects start as an aspiration from somebody in the local community – by attending local meetings as well as council events and speaking to residents, I am able to pick up on local conversations and match these aspirations, where I can, to funding pots. Sometimes, it’s just a case of connecting the right people. As a councillor I have fully supported funding to enable officers to take forward Community Action Plans (CAPs). Some of our settlements such as Echt and Kirkton of Skene have already started this process. It is really important if you live in one of these settlements and you have an idea or aspiration for your area, that you feed it in to the public consultation, contact your local community council or your councillors. The CAP is a key document to bring all aspirations together so that the council, their partners, private funders and anyone with an interest can work towards making these projects happen. The Westhill and Elrick CAP is next in line, and the Westhill and Elrick Community Council will share details of how to get involved in due course.