Temporary road closures

Please note that due to CARRIAGEWAY RESURFACING WORKS to be carried out by Aberdeenshire Council it will be necessary in the interests of public safety to apply the following restriction to traffic.

CLOSURE 1

ON THE B9119 WESTHILL TO ECHT ROAD

FROM TAQA HOUSE TO SUBSEA 7

Commencing  4 June 2012 for one week

Site notices will be erected in due course indicating the temporary restriction to traffic and the alternative routes where applicable.

The alternative route is via B979 to Mason Lodge, A944 Straik Road and Prospect Road

CLOSURE 2

ON HILLSIDE ROAD, WESTHILL

FROM JUNCTION HILLSIDE CRESCENT TO JUNCTION CRAIGSTON ROAD

Commencing  4 June 2012 for one week

Site notices will be erected in due course indicating the temporary restriction to traffic and the alternative routes where applicable.

The alternative route is via Westhill Drive and Westhill Road

Stamp of approval for Aberdeenshire libraries

Westhill Library

Aberdeenshire Council Libraries are celebrating after being given the stamp of approval by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC).

The council service was officially deemed excellent by the independent advisory body last week, following a visit by representatives of SLIC to assess the quality of library provision to local communities.

The service was rated as excellent in the personal and community participation category, with praise for outreach services such as home deliveries to those who cannot access their local library, help with computer and mobile devices, and the range of writing and research workshops, visiting speakers, author talks and storytelling sessions available to users.

Other initiatives which attracted positive comments include a postal service to those who are registered blind, support for reading groups, bibliotherapy sessions for carers and those in care homes, tailored collections of books in other languages and the range and reach of the mobile library service.

The SLIC representatives met with local customers and partners at Turriff and Inverurie libraries to find out from users what impact the service had for them, and learned about the various projects running in the communities.

SLIC also praised Westhill Library in its feedback, stating: “The new library at Westhill is a well-designed and laid-out, attractive public space. It is an excellent example of the quality of valued, public space which people want to come to and spend time in.”

Aberdeenshire Council’s Director of Education, Learning and Leisure, Maria Walker, said: “I am very pleased with the positive feedback our library service has attracted and would like to congratulate all the staff and volunteers who work very hard to make sure libraries continue to hold an important place in communities across the area.”

Helen Dewar, Aberdeenshire Council’s Principal Libraries Officer, said: “I am delighted with the outcome of the recent evaluation and the recognition it gives to the very high quality of the library service in Aberdeenshire.

“Library staff look forward to building on excellent practice and continuing to extend the reach of the service through working with partners, volunteers and the third sector.”

She added: “It was good to hear the examiners say they were leaving with many excellent ideas worth sharing with other authorities.”

For more information on Aberdeenshire Council libraries, visit www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/libraries or join the Facebook group at www.facebook.com/AberdeenshireLibraries.

The library service is also available to follow on Twitter at http://twitter.com/onceuponashire.

Parliament Talks – Energy

Aberdeenshire – Thursday 24 May

Where: Banchory West Parish Church of Scotland, High Street, Banchory, AB31 5TB
Time: 18:00 to 20:00
Chaired by: Sir Robert Smith MP

‘Parliament Talks…Energy’ is a series of free events and promotional activities highlighting Parliament’s role in debating and challenging Government policy on energy.

 Each of the events in Southampton, Suffolk and Aberdeenshire, will bring together members of the public and parliamentarians to discuss how Parliament contributes to the debate on energy issues and scrutinises Government policy, particularly when it comes to consumer engagement with energy companies.

The events will be part of the inquiry by the House of Commons Select Committee on Energy and Climate Change into consumer engagement and will ask for the public’s views on their understanding of the energy industry.

How to attend

To find out more information or to register a place at the free Aberdeenshire event:

E-mail: parliamentaryoutreach@parliament.uk
Telephone: 020 7219 1650

Please include your name, the name of your organisation (if you will be representing one) your e-mail address and a contact telephone number.

Dawson Drive residents set to party!

Well done to the residents of Dawson Drive, I hope the party is a huge success!

Aberdeenshire Council has issued the following notification of temporary restriction of traffic:

Please note that due to a Street Party to Celebrate the Diamond Jubilee it will be necessary in the interests of public safety to apply the following restriction to traffic.

 CLOSURE

 DAWSON DRIVE, WESTHILL

From No. 61 to No. 73

Commencing  5 June 2012 for 1 day

 Access for pedestrians within the closed section will be maintained at all times.

 Provision will also be made to allow emergency vehicles to pass through  with care.

The alternative route is via Dawson Drive, Westhill

Local schools cycle off with national award

Huge congratulations to staff and pupils at Crombie, Elrick and Westhill primary schools who are celebrating after receiving a national award in recognition of their strong commitment to cycling.

Cycling Scotland’s Cycle Friendly School Award is received by schools in Scotland who are committed to promoting and encouraging cycling as part of a whole school culture aimed at benefitting both children’s health and their environment.

The national average of children cycling to school currently sits at 3.5%. The figure for Westhill is a whopping six times higher at 21%, four times higher at Crombie at 14% and more than double at Elrick where 8% of pupils cycle to school, according to the 2011 Hands Up Travel Survey carried out by Aberdeenshire Council.

Aberdeenshire Council’s transport strategy unit works with schools across the area to create travel plans and encourage staff and pupils to think carefully about the travel choices available.

The council has invested in suitable cycle storage at schools, as well as upgrading and adding new safe routes for pupils to use. Initiatives such as Walk to School Week and Park and Stride have been introduced at schools across the area, which are also lending their support to a cycling campaign called ‘Give me Cycle Space’.

Funded by Cycling Scotland, the campaign aims to encourage drivers to give cyclists more space on the road. Aberdeenshire is one of 13 local authorities in Scotland who are involved in the project, which consists of national and local advertisements, providing information to schools and hosting a cycling competition.

Aberdeenshire Council school travel planning officer, Joanna Stewart, congratulated the schools on their achievement: “I am delighted that the hard work and dedication of pupils, parents and staff alike has earned these schools recognition on a national level.

“Through the travel planning process all our schools have the opportunity to develop measures appropriate to their site which encourage safety, accessibility and sustainability within our communities.

“Initiatives such as those promoted within Westhill are examples of this and I congratulate the schools again for receiving this award.”

Head teacher at Crombie School, Kate Hopkins, was delighted to earn the Cycle Friendly status and praised staff and pupils for their effort.

She said: “We felt that this was a very worthwhile initiative for us, as a school, to get involved with and obviously to receive Cycle Friendly School status is testament to the hard work put in by our staff, the school travel planning officer, parents and pupils.

“It also sits well with our Curriculum for Excellence by helping our pupils to be responsible citizens and effective contributors within the community.”

Crombie Primary P7 pupil Chrissie Blanchard added: “I love cycling and I think it is a safe way to come to school. We should all cycle. It keeps me healthy too. I am glad that we have been given this award.”

What a week!

I cannot believe it is only a week since the election count! And what a week it has been!

As well as council inductions where I had the chance to meet fellow councillors, staff and directors and generally get my bearings, I have been busy with local meetings.

At the Leisure Chairs meeting on Tuesday night, we spoke about how to take forward the feedback from the event held in March (see my previous post). There was lots of discussion about how to market the various leisure groups and how to get more volunteers involved as well to maximise funding opportunities.

Last night was the monthly meeting of Westhill & Elrick Community Council where a representative of the shopping centre owners talked about potential plans for improving the area. The W&ECC agendas are always packed with items of local interest and after being a member of this group for the last four years, I was reluctant to be leaving my post of Press & Communications Officer but look forward to helping in any way I can in my new role. I know whoever takes on the role will do a grand job. I was delighted to hear that four new volunteers agreed to join the group last night!

New casework hit my inbox pretty early on in the week so that has kept me busy too.

The best news of the week was that the Aberdeenshire Alliance has agreed in principle to form an administration in Aberdeenshire Council composed of Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Independent councillors. Martin Kitts-Hayes, Leader of the Lib Dem group said “Our purpose will be to maintain continuity and build on previous successes which have resulted in a well-run, progressive administration over the past five years”.

Thank you!

I am delighted to be the newly elected Liberal Democrat councillor for Westhill and District. Thank you all for supporting me on the doorstep during my campaign and for casting your vote for me. I look forward to working with colleagues in the ward to help keep Westhill and District a great place to work and live in. As always, I can be contacted by phone or email on any local issue.

Make sure you elect a councillor who will fight for affordable housing

As you can see from Shelter Scotland’s report below, it would take more than 7 years to clear the current waiting list for social housing in Aberdeenshire. On Thursday make sure you elect a local councillor who will fight the Scottish Government cuts in the housing budget. The SNP have reneged on their 2011 manifesto which promised 6000 social homes to rent each year for the next four years. We all know the conservatives want to bring back right-to-buy which took almost 3000 homes out of Aberdeenshire stock between 2000-2011 alone.

http://scotland.shelter.org.uk/housing_issues/get_your_housing_facts/aberdeenshire

Excellent doorknocking session in Sauchen

I was joined by Willie Rennie, leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats and Sir Robert Smith, MP on Friday night to meet residents in Sauchen along with the team.

Sir Robert joined us again tonight in Westhill. Tomorrow is being spent in some of my other favourite country haunts then back in Westhill and Elrick on Wednesday before polling on Thursday.

I am beginning to count letterboxes in my sleep and can now run up stairs!