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Thursday, 25 August 2022

Minutes of Meetings of 28th June and 23rd August.

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

In error, the minutes of the meeting held on 28 June were not published on the website.  These can now be viewed by clicking here.

The next meeting of the Community Council, again to be held on Zoom, will be on Tuesday 27th September 2022 at 7pm. Anyone wishing to attend should contact the secretary by email (click here) for access details.

ALL WELCOME

Wednesday, 24 August 2022

Refuse Collection - Strike Action

The waste and recycling staff in Aberdeen are to go on strike between Wednesday 24 August and Thursday 1 September and between Wednesday 7 and Saturday 10 September as part of national action being carried out at local authorities across Scotland.  All waste and recycling collection services in the city, both domestic and commercial, may be affected and it is likely that some bins will not be emptied. 

The uncertainty around staff availability means that it is not known, on any given day, which bins will or will not be emptied. For this reason, advice from the City Council to residents, is to put out bins by 7am on your normal collection day but take them back in if they are not emptied by the end of the day. If they have not been emptied, you should not put it out again until your next scheduled collection day as there will be no catch up in between.

click here for further information on the City Council website.

Friday, 12 August 2022

Meeting 23 August 2022 - Agenda

The next meeting of the Community Council will be on Tuesday 23rd August 2022. The meeting will be on ZOOM and will start at 7pm prompt.

The Agenda can be viewed or downloaded by clicking here

Anyone wishing to attend should contact the Secretary by email at bandmcommcouncil@gmail.com for details on how to access the zoom meeting.

ALL WELCOME

Thursday, 4 August 2022

Road Closure - Countesswells Road - 5th August

Whilst we have no confirmation from the City Council Roads Department, This is an update courtesy of First Aberdeen -

Countesswells Road will be closed in both directions for emergency repairs all day on Friday 5th August.

Bus Service 15 will not serve Countesswells on this day and will terminate at Pinewood.

From Pinewood Airyhall:
• terminate at this stop
• continue to Aldi Roundabout via Countesswells Avenue
• 3rd exit onto Countesswells Avenue
• resume normal route

This means that the No 15 will not be servicing the Countesswells Development on Friday.

Bus Route 15 - Update

On Thursday 28 July, two members of the Community Council met with representatives of First Aberdeen, ACC Public Transport Unit, ACC Road Safety Dept, and ACC Roads Operations. Liam Kerr MSP was also there. All present rode on the 10.43 service bus from Countesswells Avenue to the Countesswells Development and back.  


During the trip the bus encountered about a dozen cars, a jogger, and a large delivery lorry. Every car had to straddle the white demarcation line at the side of the carriageway and, on a couple of occasions, leave the road into an opening to let the bus pass. When the jogger was encountered running toward the bus, the bus came to a halt to let them, and a car travelling in the same direction, pass.

The lorry was encountered at a point where the lorry managed to pull off the road to let the bus pass.

Throughout the journey the bus speed did not exceed 30mph and a tailback of six cars was observed on the way out to the Countesswells Development.

All in all it was an eventful journey with plenty of examples underlining our concerns for road safety and convenience. There were no passengers on the bus either on the outward or city bound journeys.

The First Aberdeen representative consistently denied that there were any problems and suggested that many bus routes across Scotland, and in Aberdeen, were narrow. He said his drivers were all trained to the highest level and that the route was suitable. When asked about using the Queens Road corridor he said that the 15 route had been developed to allow Countesswells residents to access the new Aldi store at Countesswells Road. He had no complaints from drivers but conceded he hadn’t asked for views. He had favourable comments from Countesswells residents.

First Aberdeen were quite firm that there were no plans to change the route. ACC Roads Operations were concerned about the erosion of road edges and had already received claims form drivers claiming the potholes at the side of the carriageway had damaged their wheels and tyres.

The ACC Public Transport Unit are to meet with the other council reps and consider a way forward. 

We will keep you updated.

Wednesday, 3 August 2022

Craigton Road - Development of Green Space.

On Tuesday 26 July, members of the Community Council met with representatives of Kingswellies Nursery, Halliday and Fraser and Drum Developments to discuss the application to build a Nursery on the green space immediately west of Northcote Lodge on Craigton Road. They were joined by two local residents..

The Community Council planning officer outlined the reason for the Community Council’s objection, stressing that it was based on the erosion of the green space, loss of local amenity and the damage to the local habitat and environment rather than the type of business being proposed.

Issues discussed included, 
  • erosion of green space, encroachment into the Pitfodels conservation area
  • validity of road assessment report
  • inadequacy of proposed parking spaces and consequences
  • road safety with regard to the children, drivers, pedestrians and pedal cyclists
It was established that no traffic flow, speed or volume checks had been made at the site and that the data used for the traffic assessment report were from "comparable" sites in England.

The Community Council was concerned that the Environmental walk over survey had been completed following one visit on a day in February. It was pointed out that such a survey was not an accurate reflection of the local Environment as it had been carried out at a time when winter hibernation or migration of insects, animals and birds and the subdued pasture reduced the wildlife in the area.

Only 10 parking spaces had been identified as being suitable for cars and other vehicles depositing 120 children at the site. The fact that the huge majority of the children would be dropped and collected within two 1 hour windows, and at peak times was pointed out. Members had concerns that where parking spaces were not available clients cars would be parked on grass verges and in Craigton Road giving concerns for pedestrian access and road safety.

The developers said that there was a need for nursery spaces in the area, and that no alternative sites had been identified. The Community Council members agreed that there was a need for additional spaces in Aberdeen, but not in the immediate locality. 

The applicant's site at Kingswells attract clients from as far afield as Alford and Aboyne and the same was anticipated for this site. It was suggested that local people could walk to the facility and that there was no other nursery in the same radius. Examples were given of three other nurseries in the local neighbourhood.

Building land (Braeside Nursery School site, Dandara, Treetops site and Countesswells Development) was identified to the developers by members but was said to be unsuitable.

The discussions were wide ranging and useful. 

Tuesday, 2 August 2022

Police Report - July 2022

This police report covers progress made in dealing with area priorities during July 2022.

"Community Policing Priorities
Antisocial behaviour, Violence and Disorder:
Officers continue to carry out patrols in areas we know have historically had reports of anti-social behaviour in addition to responding to calls of these nature. 

This month we have had one such call from staff at the International School Aberdeen, reporting on the evening of Tuesday 5 th July, young persons had climbed the fence and entered the football pitches, when asked to leave they became abusive. Officers attended however the young persons had left.

We have liaised with staff at the school and linked them in with our Crime Reduction team to carry out a site visit, with a view to providing advice/guidance on how to make the pitches more secure. In the interim officers will continue to provide patrols in the area.

Acquisitive Crime:
Between Saturday 23rd and Tuesday 26th July an attempt was made to gain entry to a garage on Morningfield lane. Enquiries are ongoing and it appears the only garage to have been attempted. It is a reminder that thieves continue to be active in and across the City. 

Everyone is encouraged to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity to Police as soon as possible. 

We can take simple steps to protect our property, such as keeping property / vehicles secure at all times, keeping valuables out of sight, motion sensor or timed lighting and/or installation of CCTV.

Road Safety & Road Crime:
There have been no specific incidents of note in relation to Road Safety / Road Crime this month. 

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

With the better weather we are seeing more motorcyclists and Pedal Cyclists on the 
roads as such we thought we would include some advice for both this month, more information can be found on the Police Scotland internet site.

Road safety advice (Motorcyclists)
A lot of collisions and deaths in Scotland involve motorbikes.

Motorbike riders are more vulnerable on the roads than car drivers. Weather conditions changing, speeding and poor judgement in overtaking all add to that danger.

There are a number of things you can do to reduce the risk of crashing: 
 Take time on bends on country roads
 Take extra care at junctions
 Take care when overtaking
 Only overtake when it is safe
 Know your motorcycle and what to do if you feel like you are losing control.

Clothing is important for you being seen and for your safety. During the day you should ensure you are wearing bright colours over your protective clothing. In the evening reflective clothing should be worn. A helmet is required by law.

Being safe on the road (Pedal Cyclists)
Many collisions happen to cyclists because car drivers don't see them until it is too late. This problem is worse at night and when the weather is bad. By wearing the right clothing, drivers will be more likely to see you.

Bright and fluorescent materials should be worn in the daytime and reflective materials at night. Fluorescent clothing allows drivers to see you a lot easier than dark clothing. In order to be seen at night, you will need to wear reflective clothing. This reflects the light back at the drivers. This allows them to see you. 

Reflective material is available as self-adhesive strips, stickers etc. It can easily be attached to clothes and other items such as bags. 
Wearing a helmet may help protect your head if you are involved in a collision. Make sure this is fitted properly.

Maintaining your bike will make sure your bike is roadworthy. This will protect you on the road. Below are a few things you should be checking:

 Brakes - fix them so they can be used with only a small amount of pressure
 Tyres – inflated to the correct pressure
 Chain – tension checked, clean and oiled
 Steering – headset correctly adjusted
 Reflector(s) – clean and ensure they are on view to other road users
 Lights - At night your bike must have a white front and your red back lights lit.

Your bike must also be fitted with a red rear reflector (and amber pedal reflectors, if manufactured after 1/10/85).

White front reflectors and spoke reflectors will also help you to be seen. Flashing lights are allowed. It is recommended that cyclists who are riding in areas without street lighting use a steady front lamp.

What to do if you’re involved in a collision with a motor vehicle?
Advice if you are involved in a collision with a motor vehicle.

 Get off the road and get to a safe place
 Stay calm
 Seek medical attention if required
 If you are injured or you suspect that an offence has occurred, you should report the incident to the Police
 Report this as soon as possible and within 24 hours (call 101 or attend at your local station)
 If there is a bad injury or the road is blocked, call 999 requesting the police or ambulance attendance
 The driver of a motor vehicle must stop and provide their name, address and the name and address of the vehicle owner.
 They must also provide the vehicle registration number (Section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988)
 If the driver does not stop, note the registration number of any vehicles involved. Take details of any additional witnesses before contacting the police.

Visit Cycling Scotland for Safety and Training Videos
Children and bikes

When your child is learning to ride their bike take some time to teach them road safety skills:

 Teach your child how to check their bike is safe to use
 Make sure the bike is the right size for your child
 Make sure your child has a helmet which fits and is worn correctly (it should not be pushed too far back on the head)
 Helmets must be properly fastened and secure
 Make sure your child wears high-visibility clothing.
 Let your child know which roads they are allowed to cycle on
 Teach your child what hazards they should be aware of
 When out and about with your child look at cyclists and talk about how easy they are to see.

Find out if cycle training for your child is available in your area by visiting the Bike Ability Scotland website.

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

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