FOVERAN COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER December 2018 Issue 151 Secretary report for Winter 2018 newsletter If you want to place an advert in future editions of the newsletter which is published three times a year then please contact me on 01358 789761 or email [email protected] Foveran Community Council looks after the interest of the residents of Newburgh, Foveran, Udny Station and Cultercullen, and everything in between. The newsletter can be now be accessed after publication by anyone on https://foverannews.wordpress.com/electronic-news-letter/ We act as a focal point where you can bring to our attention matters that may concern you. Elected councillors from Aberdeenshire Council normally also attend our meetings which are open to all. Agendas for the meetings and minutes of the meetings are available on line at www.formartinecommunitycouncils.co.uk A list of community councillors and scheduled meeting dates is included in the newsletter. This newsletter would not be possible without the support of the companies who advertise in it, so please consider them when thinking of making a purchase. The Gallowshill Sports Hub in Newburgh is available to all in our community, including Foveran, Udny Station, and Cultercullen, and offers, Amateur Football, Youth Football for both boys and Girls, as well as Netball, and Tennis. Aberdeenshire Council is still considering whether to implement the 1 year experimental 20 MPH speed limit in Newburgh. Thank you to those who have volunteered to help with the delivery of the newsletters in Newburgh. We are still looking for volunteers to assist with the delivery of the newsletters in Udny Station, so please contact William Grant 01651 842791 if you can help. We have complained about the state of Main St. in Newburgh at Costcutters, also the ridges on the A90 between Ellon South Roundabout and Tipperty, and have received acknowledged that these need addressed, however we have no actual dates for the work to be done Thanks to Martin Mackenzie, Romar, and John Duncan for the erection of the Christmas lights in Newburgh. 5 Council Snow Warden Scheme Introduced With the recent changing of the clocks thoughts are no doubt turning to the winter ahead, with memories of last winter's adverse conditions still fresh in the mind. Last year's rapid freezing of snow before it could be cleared brought an unwelcome reminder that however much the council tries to do when it comes to winter maintenance, its resources are always going to be limited. With over 3,000 miles of roads and pavements, it's simply not possible to clear every surface as quickly as might be desired, or even in some cases at all. For that reason, the council has launched a 'Snow Warden' scheme, which aims to support communities and individuals to increase their resilience to winter weather. Information and training packs have been produced for communities and individuals interested in getting involved, with the council supplying protective and snow clearing equipment. Basic training will have to be undertaken by all volunteers before they can participate in the scheme, including how to avoid injury and best practice for snow clearing. Volunteers would operate independently of council teams, targeting public footways and paths only. While any snow clearing from public and private carriageways and private footpaths would be at the volunteers’ own risk, they can decide on the extent of the area to be cleared with the resources available. While some people have an understandable reluctance to clear pavements and paths in case someone slips and holds them responsible, if someone falls on a path or pavement cleared by snow wardens, then so long as it’s been cleared in line with guidance, the responsibility will lie with the pedestrian. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer snow warden or in setting up a scheme, further information is available online at: http://bit.ly/2pJltAJ Bus Timetable Changes A new Stagecoach Bus timetable takes effect from 19 November. With the full opening of the Balmedie - Tipperty Section of the A90, a number of changes have been introduced which will see an increase in direct services to and from Aberdeen, but which reduce the frequency of services for communities along the way such as ours. The draft timetable had no services which could take you from Foveran into Aberdeen before 9am. Following approaches from a number of constituents, I made a submission to Stagecoach calling for a rethink so that even if there was a reduction in off-peak services, the village would still be served at peak times and into the evening. While I remain disappointed that services have been reduced, I am pleased that those concerns have been heeded by Stagecoach and that there is now a more comprehensive service planned throughout the day than was originally set out. 7 Although the consultation period has now closed, you can report any concerns that you might have over the revised timetable and its operation to Stagecoach by email on [email protected] or by telephone on 01224 591381. North Sea Commission Visits Aberdeenshire Together with Cllr Davidson, I was delighted last month to welcome a delegation from the North Sea Commission to Aberdeenshire. Around 50 delegates from Norway, Denmark, The Netherlands, Sweden, Germany and the UK were here for a joint meeting of the Commission's Marine Resources Group and the separate Energy and Climate Change Group to examine common issues, including marine resources and climate change. The agenda included presentations on renewable energy generation, storage and transmission; carbon capture and storage and hydrogen generation; climate change mitigation and adaptation; an update on marine litter initiatives in Scotland and in Europe, and discussions on what the UK leaving the EU is likely to mean for the North East fishing industry. The event provides an excellent opportunity to help develop our close maritime connections with our European partners and to discuss how best to optimise the use of marine resources. We also showcased recent and substantial investments in Aberdeenshire, including the new fish market in Peterhead. Whatever views people might take in the current debate about the UK's future relationships with Europe and the rest of the world, it is perhaps more important than ever that Aberdeenshire continues to retain the close links that it enjoys with its near neighbours across the North Sea, so that we can continue to influence and learn from other regions with similar environmental, economic and social challenges to our own. Cllr Richard Thomson Leader of the Opposition, Aberdeenshire Council Ward 9 - Ellon & District (SNP) Tel: 07968 325634 ELLON AUTO REPAIRS ALAN PENNY LTD • Body Repairs and Spray Painting Plumbing & Heating Engineer • Private and Insurance Work Undertaken West Pitmillan Logie Road, Tipperty Foveran Ellon AB41 8LT Ellon . AB41 6AL t: 01358 721110 m: 07967 488096 Tel: 01358 723145 Raymond Birnie Mobile: 07710 873 276 9 Gala News Following the successful 2018 gala, the committee is delighted to announce that next year’s gala will go ahead on Saturday 25 May 2019. Preparations have now begun to ensure that funds are raised to finance the gala. These events are crucial to supporting the gala and are also great fun for all. What’s more, a portion of the funds raised is returned to the community. This year, the Gala Committee made donations to Newburgh Mathers School, Newburgh Green Dog Walkers and Foveran Parish Church. The Green Dog Walkers used the money to buy biodegradable bags to restock the dispensers so dog walkers won’t be caught out. This year, we are hoping you can support the gala any time you shop in Ellon Tesco. The gala has been shortlisted to go forward to the customer vote in Tesco’s Bags of Help at the Ellon store. The vote takes place until the end of the year and every blue token could help our community win up to £4,000! It doesn’t matter how much you spend in store; every purchase is eligible for a blue token so remember to ask for yours! The gala costs thousands of pounds to run each year and ‘Every Little Helps’ so please support your local gala by voting for us next time you are in Tesco. Date for your diary: Newburgh Christmas Tree Lights Switch On – Sunday 2 December 2018 Come along to Holyrood Church at 4pm to join the countdown to the switch on. This will be followed by carol singing, mulled wine and mince pies. Race Night – Saturday 23 February 2019 Last year’s race night was so much fun we’re bringing it back for 2019. Newburgh Beach Bash – Saturday 16 March 2019 The gala committee is delighted to once again support this event by serving soup, rolls, home bakes and hot drinks. Newburgh Gala – Saturday 25 May 2019 Preparations for the 2019 gala have begun. Enquiries are welcome from anyone considering holding a stall at this fantastic event attended by hundreds of locals and visitors. 11 CALLING ALL BUSINESSES The annual village gala is a hugely popular event that gets bigger and better every year – come rain or shine! Promote your business to hundreds of locals and visitors by displaying your banner at the event. Prices start at £50. Reach us in one of the following ways: [email protected] 07793 500768 The committee extends an invitation to anyone interested in supporting these events. Whether you would like to join the committee, volunteer at any of the events or simply have a suggestion, we would love to hear from you. 12 NICER NEWBURGH GARDENING GROUP The summer season has finished on a high with Newburgh winning the medium sized community category in the Formartine in Bloom competition for the fourth year running (the certificate is on show in the butcher’s window).