Spaces for People - Timber Decking and Parklet Redistribution

At the Aberdeen City Council City Growth and Resources Committee of Friday 12th Nov the Committee voted to remove the majority of the Spaces for People infrastructure in the city centre by the end of the month.

The decking and the other wooden structures used in the Spaces for People initiative are now being offered to Community Groups.

The following items have been uplifted from the city centre and placed in ACC storage meantime. The focus for distribution will be on groups within Aberdeen’s regeneration areas, and the units are likely to suit allotments and community gardens for a variety of uses and would become the property of those groups thereafter.

The units comprise:

* 2.4m x 2.4m timber decking
* 1.6 x 2.4m timber decking
* 0.8m x 2.4m bench and planters
* small number of triangular shaped decks 2.4m x 2.4m

If your community group have a use and would like to apply, the following information will be required

The name of the group

The proposed use of the items

Commitment to own and maintain thereafter

The draft redistribution list is to be presented for ACC Administration Leaders consideration, and an early call on interest would be invaluable.

Emails of application or for further details should be directed to: nmcdowell@aberdeencity.gov.uk

Let's Get Digital Survey

Aberdeen City Health and Social Care Partnership are inviting residents to take part in their Lets Get Digital Survey.

The survey looks at an individual’s access to digital devices, their confidence and skills using these devices and individual’s knowledge on where to go for support. It also looks at any potential barriers someone might face when becoming more digital.

They hope that the results of this survey will give them an understanding of where citizens of Aberdeen currently view their level of digital skills and identify areas or gaps which may require further support.

Please click here to access the survey.

Police Report - November 2021

The latest report from the Community Policing Team has been issued:

Community Policing Priorities

Antisocial behaviour, Violence and Disorder:
On Tuesday 2 November officers spoke to and warned a young person in front of parents for throwing stones at a vehicle on Morningside Gardens. 

On Friday 5 November officers were called to reports of Fireworks being set off from the Playpark on Countesswells Park Avenue. No Persons were traced by officers who continued to provide patrols in the area.

Enquiries are ongoing into the vandalism of a parked car on Deeside Crescent, where it was scratched sometime between Monday the 22 and Thursday 25 November.

Officers are making enquiries into the window being smashed at a property on Deeside Gardens that has occurred in the small hours of Friday 26 November.  Anyone with information is asked to contact Police quoting incident number 0427 of the 26 November.

Acquisitive Crime:
Enquiries are ongoing into the Housebreaking with intent to steal that has occurred at a property on Wellbrae Terrace whereby damage was caused to a gate and garage door. This has occurred overnight from Sunday 21 November into Monday 22 November. Incident 1078 of the 22nd relates if anyone has any information.

Between Friday 26 and Saturday 27 November a gent’s mountain bike was stolen from outside an address on Great Western Road, Aberdeen where the lock had been cut. Enquiries are ongoing.

I encourage us all to remain vigilant. If you see something you think is suspicious please contact Police either online via the Police Scotland Internet site ‘contact us’ page or via 101 (999 if an emergency), passing as much detail as possible on what is suspicious, descriptions of persons, any vehicle descriptions particularly the registration mark if at all possible.

Road Safety & Road Crime:

There have been no specific incidents of note in relation to Road Safety / Road Crime. We continue to work with partners in response to specific complaints in terms of road traffic offences. Residents in the areas affected by antisocial driving are encouraged to contact Police on 101 at the time, to report incidents and provide as much description as possible of the vehicle(s)/person(s) in order for us to take positive action.

Community Engagement & Reassurance
WINTER ROAD SAFETY FOR PEDESTRIANS / CYCLISTS AND DRIVERS

Advice for pedestrians
Advice if you are out walking during winter:

• Dress for the weather by wearing reflective or bright-coloured clothing so other road users can see you when it's dark or visibility is poor
• If you are walking home late at night, make sure someone knows where you're going and when
• Vehicles can take up to ten times longer to stop on slippery road surfaces so take extra care crossing the road
• Stick to pedestrian crossings. If there are no crossings nearby, find a place with a clear view and wait for long gaps in the traffic before crossing the road
• Don't cross the road between parked vehicles, unless it can't be avoided then take extra care (look out for vehicles that suddenly pull out or reverse)
• Never cross the road behind a bus
• If there is no pavement, keep to the right hand side of the road so you can see traffic coming towards you.

Advice for cyclists
Advice to consider if you are cycling during winter:

• Make sure your bike can be seen by people on the road
• Use a good set of front and rear lights (white at the front, red at the back)
• Wear clothes that help you be seen on your bike, such as bright and light reflective items
• Pay attention to road signs, markings and particularly red lights
• Do not cycle on the pavements, they may be slippery and can also endanger pedestrians
• Be mindful of the effects poor weather can have on other road users
• Make sure you know about the dangers around you
• Cars can take twice as long to stop in wet weather
• Braking can be unpredictable in ice and snow.

Advice for drivers
Advice for drivers during winter:

• Make sure your car is ready for winter
• Check that your tyres, brakes, windscreens, wiper blades and windows are free from defects and clean
• Drive to the road conditions. Road conditions can change without warning, stopping distances will be affected by the weather
• Make sure your windows are clean and aren't misted up
• Make sure there is no snow and ice on your windows before you drive
• When the roads are icy, drive at a slow speed in a high gear
• Accelerate and brake very gently
• Driving distracted (for example, using a Sat Nav) can cause additional stress. It is dangerous to yourself, passengers and other road users.

As always, if you see or are the victim of crime please do report this as below.

Follow us on Twitter @NorthEPolice #WestEndCPT
Also available are the three following contact email addresses for the West End:

AiryhallBroomhillGarthdeeCPT@Scotland.pnn.police.uk
HazleheadAshleyQueensCrossCPT@Scotland.pnn.police.uk
TorryFerryhillCPT@scotland.pnn.police.uk

Contact Us
Please also remember you can communicate with us using any of the following:
🕾 101 – Non emergency;
🖱 Twitter - @NorthEPolice;
🖱 Facebook – www.facebook.com/NorthEastPoliceDivision;
🖱 Web – www.scotland.police.uk;
🕾 999 – Emergency;
🕾 0800 555 111 - Crimestoppers.

Vaccinations and Booster now Bookable on-line

If you’re aged 50 to 59, or aged 16 or over and an unpaid carer or living in an immunosuppressed household, you can book your COVID-19 Vaccine Booster and flu vaccine online. 

You will find your vaccination user name on a previous appointment letter or you can recover it. www.nhsinform.scot/vaccinebooking

Minutes of Meeting - 23 November 2021

The minutes of the November meeting of the Community Council, held on Tuesday 23rd can now be viewed or download by clicking here.

There is no meeting of the Community Council in December with the next meeting, again to be held on Zoom, on Tuesday 18 January 2022. Anyone wishing to attend should contact the secretary by email (click here) for access details.

All Welcome

Community Council Meeting - 23 November 2021

The next virtual meeting of the Community Council is at 7pm on Tuesday 23 November 2021 using the Zoom video programme. 

The Community Council is still looking for new members and anyone interested or who would like more information is encouraged to come along to the meeting.

If you wish to attend please contact the secretary by emailing bandmcommcouncil@gmail.com for the Zoom room identity and password.

The Agenda can be viewed by clicking here.

ALL WELCOME

Parliamentary Recognition

Our thanks to Liam Kerr MSP for highlighting the work done by the Community Council and Airyhall Primary School in our recent "Bells for Bikes" initiative.

http://bandmcommcouncil.blogspot.com/2021/09/bells-for-bikes.html

The motion, tabled at the Scottish Parliament on Monday 1st November, supported by 19 other MSP's, was;

Braeside and Mannofield Bells for Bikes Initiative
Submitted by: Liam Kerr, North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party.
Date lodged: Monday, November 1, 2021

Supported by: Colin Beattie, Miles Briggs, Donald Cameron, Sharon Dowey, Russell Findlay, Meghan Gallacher, Jamie Greene, Rachael Hamilton, Bill Kidd, Dean Lockhart, Douglas Lumsden, Edward Mountain, Douglas Ross, Dr. Sandesh Gulhane, Alexander Stewart, Paul Sweeney, Mercedes Villalba, Tess White, Brian Whittle

"That the Parliament commends Braeside and Mannofield Community Council Bells for Bikes initiative, alongside Airyhall Primary School, which provides bike bells for young cyclists to improve their safety; notes the importance of this project, in encouraging young cyclists to be safe while being active; recognises the great work councils do at a local level, as a vital part of communities, and hopes the great work by Braeside and Mannofield Community Council will continue."

Whilst it is never sought or expected, recognition is always appreciated.

Fire and Smoke Alarms - Avoid Scams

Trading Standards Scotland have issued the following warning in view of the potential for scammers and rogue traders to take advantage of the those unsure of the new legislation and installation deadline for fitting linked fire alarms in homes. 

Failing to follow the guidelines may lead to you paying inflated costs for inferior products and fitting or to becoming a victim of a financial scam. 

The advice highlights where you can get trusted information. Always remember to get a minimum of 2 quotes for any potential work from reliable and trusted traders and if needed seek advice from someone you trust.  Further information can be found on the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Trading Standards leaflets which are attached and on the following links below

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
https://www.firescotland.gov.uk/your-safety/at-home/home-fire-safety-visit/

https://www.firescotland.gov.uk/your-safety/at-home/alarms/

Scottish Government
https://www.gov.scot/publications/fire-and-smoke-alarms-in-scottish-homes/

Police Report - October 2021

The Community Policing Team have just sent us an update on activities for the month of October;

Antisocial behaviour, Violence and Disorder:  

Officers are investigating the damage to a car on Great Western Road near Craigton Road that occurred overnight from Wednesday 13th into Thursday 14th October.  Anyone with information is asked to contact Police on 101 quoting incident 0561 of the 13th.

This month with the nights getting longer and colder we have not had any reported calls of anti-social behaviour involving our young people.  That said I accept that this may be that nothing has been reported.  Officers continue to patrol areas where we have history of anti-social behaviour and will deal proportionately with any issues they detect.

Acquisitive Crime:

Officers are following a positive line of enquiry into a theft by housebreaking that occurred in the small hours of Thursday 28th October in the Anderson Drive area of Aberdeen, with a similar incident of persons acting suspiciously having been sighted in the Thorngrove Crescent area around the same time.  Officers continue to patrol across the area and will investigate any suspicious activity.  

We continue to urge everyone to remain vigilant, report suspicious activity and take simple steps to protect properties/vehicles/belongings, namely by keeping doors and windows locked and valuables out of sight.

Road Safety & Road Crime:
On Friday 22nd October officers from the Westend and Hazelhead CPT supported from Road

Policing carried out a day of action on various roads identified across our Community Policing Team area from Craigton Road to the North Deeside Road, Culter.  As a result 23 motorists were stopped, with 16 being charged/warned regarding minor Road Traffic Offences, including 2 reported to the Procurator Fiscal. 

We continue to work with partners in response to specific complaints in terms of road traffic offences.  Residents in the areas affected by antisocial driving are encouraged to contact Police on 101 at the time, to report incidents and provide as much description as possible of the vehicle(s)/person(s) in order for us to take positive action. 

Community Engagement & Reassurance
Aberdeen City Council Community Planning recently carried out their City Voice Survey as part of their community engagement.  This aligns and feeds into the Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP) projects.

As part of this survey the question was asked around how safe you feel in your local area. The results below show that of the respondents 95% felt very safe or fairly safe.

The question was asked:   How safe do you feel in your local area?  and the returns were:

                        Number        Percent

Very safe         234                42.8%
Fairly safe       287                52.5%
Not safe           26                  4.8%
Total                547                100.0%

From a Policing perspective this is very encouraging, but we do not rest, as our aim to continually provide the best service we can with the resources at our disposal.  Please do continue to take simple steps to keep yourself and your properties safe.  There is a wealth of information on the Police Scotland Internet site that can be accessed from the following link https://www.scotland.police.uk/advice-and-information/ .

As always, if you see or are the victim of crime please do report this as below.

Follow us on Twitter @NorthEPolice #WestEndCPT
Also available are the three following contact email addresses for the West End:

AiryhallBroomhillGarthdeeCPT@Scotland.pnn.police.uk
HazleheadAshleyQueensCrossCPT@Scotland.pnn.police.uk
TorryFerryhillCPT@scotland.pnn.police.uk

Contact Us
Please also remember you can communicate with us using any of the following:
🕾 101 – Non emergency;
🖱 Twitter - @NorthEPolice;
🖱 Facebook – www.facebook.com/NorthEastPoliceDivision;
🖱 Web – www.scotland.police.uk;
🕾 999 – Emergency;
🕾 0800 555 111 - Crimestoppers.

Parking restrictions Countesswells Avenue

Aberdeen City Council have advised of the following temporary parking restriction in Countesswells Avenue;

From 4am on 7 December, there will be a temporary prohibition of waiting on West side of Countesswells Avenue, between its junctions with Countesswells Road and the entrance to the new "Dandara" development. 

The no-waiting restrictions will be demarcated by the use of no-waiting cones. Illegally parked vehicles will be removed at the owner’s expense. The measure is necessary to protect public safety during ACC footway

The restrictions are in force until 5pm on 04 March 2022