New Temporary Traffic Order Imposed – Broadiach Road

Start Date and Time : 15 January 2018 07:30
End Date and Time : 26 January 2018 17:00

Location : Brodiach Road

Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

The effect of the order, which will operate from 07:30 on 15th January, 2018, until 17:00 on 26th January, 2018, is to impose a temporary prohibition of driving on Brodiach Road, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Westhill Road and A944 Skene Road.

Access to properties will be maintained, but no through traffic will be possible. The measure is necessary to protect public safety during Drainage works.

Alternate Route : An alternative route is available via Westhill Road, Westhill Drive and A944.

30mph Speed Restriction on the C128c comes into force from 11 December 2017 until 10 June 2019


Countesswells Development Limited have applied for a temporary speed restriction of 30 mph along the C128c.

THE ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL
(C128C CULTS-KINGSHILL, C128C KIRK BRAE,
C127C BLACKTOP ROAD, ABERDEEN)
(TEMPORARY SPEED RESTRICTION) ORDER 2017

Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

The effect of the order, which will operate from 05:00 on 11 December, 2017, until 24:00 on 10 June, 2019, is to impose a temporary 30mph speed restriction on the C128C Cults-Kingshill, Aberdeen, and the C128C Kirk Brae, Aberdeen, between a point 60 metres south of its junction with the access road to Nether Fifeshill, and a point 55 metres south of its junction with Countesswells Road.

There will also be a 30mph speed restriction on the C127C Blacktop Road, Aberdeen, between its junction with the C128C Cults-Kingshill, and a point 40 metres west of this junction.

The measure is necessary to protect public safety while a permanent order is progressed.

New Temporary Traffic Order Imposed – Mastrick Road, inset road

Start Date and Time : 30 November 2017 08:00
End Date and Time : 30 November 2017 22:00

Location : Mastrick Road, inset road

Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order, which will operate from 08:00 until 22:00 on 30th November, 2017 is to impose a temporary prohibition of driving on Mastrick Road, Aberdeen, on the inset road to numbers 37 to 47 Mastrick Road from the junction of the main carriageway of Mastrick road and a point 10 metres southwards.

There will also be a prohibition of waiting on the same stretch of road. Illegally parked vehicles will be removed at the owner’s expense. The no-waiting restrictions will be demarcated by the use of no-waiting cones.

The measures are necessary to protect public safety during duct laying works being carried out by City Fibre.

Alternate Route : An alternative route is available via Ross Crescent, Willowpark Crescent and North Anderson Drive inset road.

New Temporary Traffic Order Imposed – Mastrick Road

Start Date and Time : 29 November 2017 08:00
End Date and Time : 01 December 2017 22:00

Location : Mastrick Road

Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

The effect of the order is to impose a temporary prohibition of waiting on either side of Mastrick Road, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Ross Crescent and North Anderson Drive from 08:00 on 29 November, 2017, until 22:00 on 1 December, 2017.

Illegally parked vehicles will be removed at the owner’s expense. The measures are necessary to protect public safety during Duct laying works being carried out by City Fibre.

Changes in Temporary Traffic Order – Fairley Road

Start Date and Time : 16 October 2017 08:00
End Date and Time : 29 October 2017 22:00

Location : Fairley Road

Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order, which will operate from 08:00 on 16 October, 2017, until 22:00 on 29 October, 2017, is to impose a temporary one-way restriction on Fairley Road, Aberdeen, between its junctions with the link road to the C89C and Kingswood Drive.

The permitted direction of travel will be northbound only. There will also be a prohibition of waiting at any time on Fairley Road, Aberdeen, from the boundary between numbers 39 and 41 Fairley Road, to the junction with the link road to the C89C.

Illegally parked vehicles will be removed at the owner’s expense. The measures are necessary to protect public safety during water connection replacement works and ironwork repairs being carried out by Scottish Water.

Alternate Route : An alternative route for southbound vehicles is available via the C89C Chapel of Stoneywood-Fairley Road, and the link road to the C89C

New Temporary Traffic Order Imposed – Fairley Road

Start Date and Time : 09 October 2017 08:00
End Date and Time : 22 October 2017 22:00

Location : Fairley Road

Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order, which will operate from 08:00 on 9 October, 2017, until 22:00 on 22 October, 2017, is to impose a temporary one-way restriction on Fairley Road, Aberdeen, between its junctions with the link road to the C89C and Kingswood Drive.

The permitted direction of travel will be northbound only. There will also be a prohibition of waiting at any time on Fairley Road, Aberdeen, from the boundary between numbers 39 and 41 Fairley Road, to the junction with the link road to the C89C. Illegally parked vehicles will be removed at the owner’s expense.

The measures are necessary to protect public safety during water connection replacement works and ironwork repairs being carried out by Scottish Water.

Alternate Route : An alternative route for southbound vehicles is available via the C89C Chapel of Stoneywood-Fairley Road, and the link road to the C89C

40Mph Speed Limit on A944 Now In Force

With effect from Monday 18th September 2017 the speed limit on the remaining sections of the A944 will be reduced from 50mph to 40mph.

This decision was taken by Aberdeen City Council on 24th January 2017 in respect of the A944 from the end of the 30mph zone at the new Maidencraig development and the B1119 from the end of the 30mph limit at Hazlehead. In both cases the change applies from these points to the Kingswells roundabout, effectively creating a 40mph limit to the city boundary.

The speed limit is being introduced in respect of road safety following a number of serious accidents and fatalities, to avoid confusion to motorists by creating a continuous 40mph zone and also in recognition of the changing character of the area towards residential with the Maidencraig and Countesswells developments.

Steve Delaney said, “as residents know, I have campaigned for a number of years to have the speed limit reduced to 40mph on safety grounds. Since the reduction on the section from Kingswells to Westhill there have thankfully been no further fatalities and no serious accidents, accepting that there have been a number of less serious incidents at the Kingswells roundabout, which I still maintain needs to be further improved”.

“In addition, the average speed has reduced considerably on a stretch of road were many drivers had previously been clocked at 70mph or faster”.

“When the previous speed reduction came into force a number of motorists were fined for speeding as a result of waning signs not going up until after the date of change. I received assurances that this will not happen again and have been informed that electronic signs will be in place from 18th September for a week to inform motorists of the change. The information is also on the Council’s website and was press released last week”.

New Temporary Traffic Order Imposed – Eday Road, Bressay Brae, Lang Stracht, Skye Road

A New Temporary Traffic Order has been imposed with the following details :

Start Date and Time : 26 September 2017 05:30
End Date and Time : 30 September 2017 22:00

Location : Eday Road, Bressai Brae, Lang Stracht, Skye Road

Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

The effect of the order, which will operate from 05:30 on 26 September, 2017, until 22:00 on 30 September, 2017, is to impose a temporary prohibition of driving on Eday Road, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Rousay Drive and Eday Gardens. There will also be a prohibition of waiting on the same stretch of road from 08:00-17:00 daily. Access to properties will be maintained, but no through traffic will be possible.

There will also be a 10mph speed restriction on Eday Road, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Rousay Drive and Eday Gardens. Also, there will be a prohibition of waiting at any time on either side of Bressay Brae, Aberdeen, between its junction with Lang Stracht and the western boundary of number 30 Bressay Brae. There will be a prohibition of right turn manoeuvres from Lang Stracht, Aberdeen, on to Bressay Brae.

There will be a one-way restriction on Skye Road, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Lang Stracht and Raasay Gardens. The permitted direction of travel will be northbound only. The measures are necessary to protect public safety during carriageway resurfacing works on Eday Road, and to maintain traffic flow on the diversion route.

Alternate Route : An alternative route is available via Bressay Brae and Lang Stracht.

Broadband Update For Kingswells

This week there’s a combination of good and bad news regarding the rollout of fibre broadband in Kingswells, but there’s a lot going on, which is why this special update is being released.

Cabinet 11 Capacity Addressed

The good news is that capacity was extended for Cabinet 11 users a couple of weeks ago. This area was upgraded over a year ago, but insufficient capacity was installed to allow all households who wanted the service to receiver the faster service. Councillor Steve Delaney raised this issue with Openreach and was initially informed it could take up to 9 months to resolve. Thankfully it has happened much sooner.

The streets which could potentially be affected are: – Kingswood Road, Kingswood Crescent, Kingswood Gardens, Kingswood Avenue, Kingswood Path, Kingswood Walk, Kingswood Grove, Fairley Road, Edmond Gardens, Whiterashes, Denview Wynd and possibly some other streets in this area.

Steve said, “It just seems plain daft that they would upgrade an area where people were either getting the slowest speeds in the UK or, in some cases, no connection at all, without installing sufficient capacity from day one. I have no idea if the cabinet will have sufficient capacity for everyone who wants to connect, but additional connections have been added”.

“I’d suggest if you live in these streets, want high speed broadband and have been unable to order it previously, that you place your order quickly”.

Derbeth Grange Connection Issues

The addresses in Derbeth Grange which are connected to TPON (about 60 homes) will be upgraded to fibre later this year. No firm timetable has been published to date. The same goes for other areas connected to TPON with the exception of Derbeth Park (see below).

However, the households in Derbeth Grange currently connected directly to the exchange (about 60 homes with the slowest speeds) had been upgraded a couple of months ago. However, a fault in the new cabinet 28 has resulted in some addresses not being able to be connected. As a result, some residents have placed orders, had these orders accepted, then either been told their line cannot be upgraded or indeed been cut off completely.

Steve said, “I’ve been in discussions with Openreach on this matter over the past few weeks. The fault has now been traced and the website updated to advise that the service is not currently available. I am unsure of the technical detail, suffice to say I have been advised it is not going to be possible to fix the fault. Options are being looked into but it will take at least three months to implement an alternative solution”.

Derbeth Park Infrastructure Works Are Now Underway

Works to upgrade Derbeth Park to super fast broadband are currently underway with the cabling and infrastructure being put in place. In order to receive the service a box needs to be attached to each property and permission is required from home owners. Openreach have already fitted several of these and are continuing works into next week and possibly beyond.

Steve said, “Derbeth Park will be the first of the streets in the TPON area to be upgraded to fibre broadband with speeds of potentially 300Mbps (though packages on offer may vary). I have received assurances from Openreach that any residents who are not at home when they call requesting permission to fit these boxes will be left contact details outlining how to get in touch to arrange for the works to be undertaken”.

You can track the status for broadband upgrades in respect of any address in Kingswells by logging on to www.scotlandsuperfast.com

New Temporary Traffic Order Imposed – C89C Chapel of Stoneywood-Fairley Road

Start Date and Time : 25 August 2017 20:00
End Date and Time : 28 August 2017 06:00

Location : C89C Chapel of Stoneywood-Fairley Road

Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

The effect of the order, which will operate from 20:00 on 25 August, 2017, until 06:00 on 28 August, 2017, is to impose a temporary prohibition of driving on the C89C Chapel of Stoneywood-Fairley Road, Aberdeen, between its junctions with the C88C Newhills Road and the U304C Kingswells Crescent.

Access to properties will be maintained, but no through traffic will be possible. The measures are necessary to protect public safety during Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route works.

Alternate Route : An alternative route is available via the C88C Newhills Road, Kepplehills Road, Inverurie Road, the A96 Inverurie Road, Auchmill Road, Great Northern Road, the A90 North Anderson Drive, and the A944 Lang Stracht, Skene Road.

New Temporary Traffic Order Imposed – Mastrick Road

Start Date and Time : 19 August 2017 08:00
End Date and Time : 19 August 2017 22:00

Location : Mastrick Road

Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order, which will operate from 08:00 until 22:00 on 19 August, 2017 is to impose a temporary prohibition of driving on Ross Crescent, Aberdeen, between its junction with Mastrick Road and a point 10 metres in a southerly direction.

There will also be a prohibition of waiting on either side of Mastrick Road, Aberdeen, between the junction of Derry Avenue and the gable end of number 50 Mastrick Road. The no-waiting restrictions will be demarcated by the use of no-waiting cones. The measures are necessary to protect public safety during duct laying works being carried out by City Fibre.

Alternate Route : An alternative route is available via Mastrick Road, Arnage Place, and Arnage Drive

Changes in Temporary Traffic Order – OLD SKENE ROAD

An existing Temporary Traffic Order has been modified. The details are as follows :

Start Date and Time : 28 August 2017 05:30
End Date and Time : 01 September 2017 22:00

Location : OLD SKENE ROAD

Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order, which will operate 05:30 on 28 August, 2017, until 22:00 on 1 September, 2017, is to impose a temporary prohibition of driving on the entire length of Old Skene Road, Aberdeen, from its junction with Fairley Road in an easterly direction.

Access to properties will be maintained, but no through traffic will be possible There will also be a temporary prohibition of waiting on the entire length of Old Skene Road, Aberdeen, from its junction with Fairley Road in an easterly direction, from 08:00-17:00 Mon-Fri. The measure is necessary to protect public safety during carriageway resurfacing works.

Council Needs To Sort Out Bin Collections!


In March this year Aberdeen City Council started rolling out the new mixed recycling collections across the city. As we all know, this has resulted in our existing 240L black bins becoming recycling bins and being replaced by 180L bins for unrecyclable rubbish. All households were also given access to food and (if appropriate) garden waste collections, including rural properties which had, to date, been excluded from recycling collections.

The introduction of the new service was long overdue as people wanted to recycle more, but the recycling facilities in Aberdeen were very poor and the system in place did not make it easy for people to recycle. It took about three months to cover all addresses so you’d think that, subject to a few hiccups, it would have settled down by now. Regrettably, this does not appear to have been the case.

The Implementation Phase

Lib Dem Environment Spokesman Steve Delaney said, “We’ve been screaming out for a better recycling service for years but its introduction has been nothing less than chaotic. In some areas, mostly flats but also areas where there was inadequate ground space to accommodate the number of bins, it was obvious other solutions such as communal facilities would be needed. However, rather than return to base and report the issue, the crews just dumped the bins on the street regardless. Surely it would have made more sense to re-examine options for these addresses at the end of the programme?”

“By way of an example, I alerted the Council to the need for communal bins in a section of North Anderson Drive and the inability to store this volume of individual bins at this location due to lack of ground space. This information was passed on some weeks prior to the roll out, yet the individual bins were delivered regardless and residents are now being told it may take up to a year until communal bins are put in place. It’s an absolute disgrace”.

Rural Properties Being Missed

He continued, “I’ve also had complaints from rural properties in Kingswells which are being routinely missed out of recycling uplifts, despite having been provided with the bins. Some addresses are being done, others are being missed and some of these are within sight of each other. The Council response has acknowledged they are aware of ‘a handful of outstanding issues’ and confirmed they are working towards resolving these. If you live in one of the rural properties around Kingswells and are still experiencing difficulties, please let me know”.

Assisted Uplifts Were Not On The System

Steve added, “In addition, the Council uplifts a number of bins from addresses where people are unable to put out their own bins as a result of infirmity or significant physical disability. These too were being missed as the software designed to manage the routes did not flag up these addresses. It wasn’t until I raised this that a manual system was put in place in an attempt to resolve matters. This was reported as a result of a couple in their nineties not having their bin collected for several weeks. I’ve since been assured the software issues have now been addressed, but if you know differently, please let me know”.

Brown Bins Left Lying For Days

Steve said, “Then there’s the issue with brown bin uplifts where bins are being left lying for days, sometimes longer, before they get picked up. The Council has blamed the increase in recycling, the highest ever in Aberdeen between April and June, and the challenges this creates during the rollout of a new service. Could this not have reasonably been anticipated with the increase in the different types of materials which can now be recycled? I’m advised the capacity issue is now being addressed, but it may be another 2-3 weeks until matters are fully resolved”.

Dumped Rubbish And Fire Risks

He said, “Just to cap it all, the Council has recently suspended the uplift of bulky items with no advance warning in order to try to clear the backlog of missed collections. As people put items out for collection outside their homes, my fear is that this will attract fly tipping. Requests for bulky goods uplifts will resume from 31 July but I suspect the backlog will take many more weeks to clear”.

“A constituent yesterday raised concerns that the mattress she had put outside her home for collection might be set on fire after being told that collections have been suspended. Following on from the Grenfell tragedy we need to re-evaluate everything we do in respect of minimising any potential fire risk and keeping people safe”.

‘At an absolute minimum the Council needs to communicate any intentions to suspend future bulky uplifts in advance and risk assess any applications received during a suspension period from a safety perspective. I am currently pressing for assurances on these points”.

Furious…

“To say that I’m absolutely furious would be an understatement! The new refuse collection service was planned out over a long period of time, yet the foreseeable and obvious difficulties do not appear to have been built into the delivery plan”.

“Even accepting that some unforeseen difficulties have arisen, I’m appalled the Council appears to have lost control of the situation and is only now, five months after the new service commenced its roll out, that there appears to be an end in sight”.

“Please rest assured I will be happy to follow up on any further concerns until matters are fully resolved. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with me if you are experiencing ongoing issues with bin collections”.

New Temporary Traffic Order Imposed – Summerhill Road

Start Date and Time : 28 August 2017 07:30
End Date and Time : 08 September 2017 22:00

Location : Summerhill Road

Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order, which will operate from 07:30 on 28 August, 2017, until 22:00 on 8 September, 2017, is to impose a temporary prohibition of driving on Summerhill Road, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Summerhill Drive and Summerhill Terrace. There will also be a prohibition of waiting on Summerhill Road, Aberdeen, from the boundary between numbers 79 and 81 to the boundary between 75 and 77 Summerhill Road. Access to properties will be maintained, but no through traffic will be possible. The measure is necessary to protect public safety during Scottish Water works.

Alternate Route : An alternative route is available via Summerhill Drive and Summerhill Terrace.

New Temporary Traffic Order Imposed – Arnage Place

Start Date and Time : 17 July 2017 07:30
End Date and Time : 17 July 2017 22:00

Location : Arnage Place

Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order, which will operate from 07:30 until 22:00 on 17 July, 2017 is to impose a temporary prohibition of driving on Arnage Place, Aberdeen, between its junction with Mastrick Road and a point 10 metres in a southerly direction. The measure is necessary to protect public safety during duct laying works being carried out by City Fibre.

Alternate Route : An alternative route is available via Mastrick Road, Ross Crescent, and Arnage Drive.

New Temporary Traffic Order Imposed – Burnbrae Crescent

Start Date and Time : 07 August 2017 07:30
End Date and Time : 11 August 2017 22:00

Location : Burnbrae Crescent

Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order, which will operate from 07:30 on 7 August, 2017, until 22:00 on 11 August, 2017, is to impose a temporary prohibition of driving on Burnbrae Crescent, Aberdeen, from the gable end of number 19 Burnbrae Crescent to the boundary between numbers 21-31 and 33-43 Burnbrae Crescent. Access to properties will be maintained, but no through traffic will be possible. The measure is necessary to protect public safety during Openreach works.

Alternate Route : An alternative route is available via Springhill Road, Lang Stracht, Fernhill Drive and Burnbrae Avenue.

New Temporary Traffic Order Imposed – A994 Skene Road

Start Date and Time : 17 June 2017 00:00
End Date and Time : 12 October 2017 22:00

Location : A994 Skene Road

Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order, which will operate from 00:00 on 17 June, 2017, until 22:00 on 12 October, 2017, is to impose a temporary prohibition of right turn manoeuvres from, and also on to, the A944 Skene Road, Aberdeen, from a point 125m west of its junction with Kingswells Causeway to a point 125m east of its junction with the B9119 Tarland Road.

The measures are necessary to protect public safety during Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route works.

Alternate Route : An alternative route is available via Westhill Drive Roundabout and the A944 Skene Road, or via Kingswells Roundabout and the A944 Skene Road.

New Temporary Traffic Order Imposed – C89C Chapel of Stoneywood – Fairley Road

Start Date and Time : 17 June 2017 00:00
End Date and Time : 11 January 2018 18:00

Location : C89C Chapel of Stoneywood – Fairley Road

Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

The effect of the order, which will operate from 00:00 on 17 June, 2017, until 18:00 on 11 January, 2018, is to impose a temporary 40mph speed restriction on the C89C Chapel of Stoneywood-Fairley Road, Aberdeen, between its junctions with the C88C Newhills Road and Kingswells Crescent.

There will also be a prohibition of right turn manoeuvres at the junction with the C89C Chapel of Stoneywood-Fairley Road on to the two new access roads approximately 75 metres north east of Dykeside Steading.

The measures are necessary to protect public safety during the movement of construction vehicles associated with the AWPR.

New Temporary Traffic Order Imposed – Gairsay Road

Start Date and Time : 12 June 2017 07:30
End Date and Time : 11 December 2018 18:00

Location : Gairsay Road

Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order, which will operate from 07.30 on 12 June, 2017, until 18:00 on 11 December, 2018, is to impose a temporary prohibition of waiting at any time on either side of Gairsay Road, Aberdeen, from a point 10m west of lighting pole number 5 to a point 20m east of lighting pole number 5.

There will also be a prohibition of waiting between 07:30 and 18:00 Mon-Fri, on either side of Gairsay Road, Aberdeen, from its junction with Stronsay Drive to a point 20m east of lighting pole number 5. The measure is necessary to protect public safety at to maintain access to a construction site.

Tour Series Cycle Race In City centre On Thursday 25th May

Britain’s top men’s professional cycling teams will compete in Round 8 of the Tour Series in Aberdeen on Thursday 25th May.

Scottish Cycling will host a range of amateur races between 1.00pm and 6.00pm. The men’s Tour Series gets underway at 7.30pm and the presentation to the winners will be at approximately 9pm.

There will be a Cycling Activity Village in Union Terrace Gardens with a range of displays and activities from 12.30pm until 6.30pm on race day.

You can find out more about the day’s events here.

A number of roads in the city centre will be closed between 7am and midnight on 25th May.

New Temporary Traffic Order Imposed – Mastrick Road

Start Date and Time : 08 May 2017 08:00
End Date and Time : 09 May 2017 22:00

Location : Mastrick Road

Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order is to impose a temporary prohibition of driving on Mastrick Road, Aberdeen, on the inset road to numbers 37 to 47 Mastrick Road from the junction of the main carriageway of Mastrick road and a point 10 metres southwards from 08:00 on 8 May, 2017, until 22:00 on 9 May, 2017. There will also be a prohibition of waiting on either side Mastrick Road, Aberdeen, between the junctions of Ross Crescent and the inset road to numbers 37 to 47 Mastrick Road from 08:00 on 8 May, 2017, until 22:00 on 9 May, 2017. The no-waiting restrictions will only be implemented as and when required, and will be demarcated by the use of no-waiting cones. The measures are necessary to protect public safety during duct laying works being carried out by City Fibre.

Alternate Route : An alternative route is available via Ross Crescent, Willowpark Crescent and North Anderson Drive inset road.

Changes in Temporary Traffic Order – C93C Borrowstone Road

Start Date and Time : 24 April 2017 05:30
End Date and Time : 01 May 2017 06:00

Location : C93C Borrowstone Road

Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order, which will operate from 05:30 on 24 April, 2017, until 06:00 on 1 May, 2017, is to impose a temporary prohibition of driving on the C93C Borrowstone Road, Aberdeen, between its junctions with the A944 Skene Road and a point 50 metres north of Westholme. The measures are necessary to protect public safety during Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route works.

Alternate Route : An alternative route is available via the B979 Kirkton of Skene-Tyrebagger, Westhill Drive, and the A944 Skene Road.

New Temporary Traffic Order Imposed – C93C Borrowstone Road

Start Date and Time : 24 April 2017 05:30
End Date and Time : 28 April 2017 22:00

Location : C93C Borrowstone Road

Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order, which will operate from 05:30 on 24 April, 2017, until 22:00 on 28 April, 2017, is to impose a temporary prohibition of driving on the C93C Borrowstone Road, Aberdeen, between its junctions with the A944 Skene Road and a point 50 metres north of Westholme. The measures are necessary to protect public safety during Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route works.
Alternate Route : An alternative route is available via the B979 Kirkton of Skene-Tyrebagger, Westhill Drive, and the A944 Skene Road.

New Temporary Traffic Lights Imposed – C89C Chapel of Stoneywood to Fairley Road

A New Temporary Traffic Lights has been imposed with the following details :

Category :Temporary Traffic Signals
Traffic Order Number : 2017/097/TL
Emergency : No
Start Date and Time : 13 March 2017 09:30
End Date and Time : 17 March 2017 15:30

Location : C89C Chapel of Stoneywood to Fairley Road

Description : Temporary traffic signals for use during AWPR works at the Dykeside Roundabout. Operational 0930-1530 each day.

Council Rejects Additional Spending On Roads & Pavements

At last week’s budget meeting of Aberdeen City Council, Liberal Democrat proposals to increase spending on road and pavement resurfacing works by £3.3 million, which would have taken this year’s spend to £5.5 million, were rejected. The Lib Dem Group has consistently put forward proposals to at least double expenditure on road and pavement resurfacing over each of the past five years.

Kingswells, Sheddocksley, Summerhill councillor Steve Delaney said, “One of the most common concerns raised by constituents is the poor state of our roads and the under-investment in road and pavement resurfacing in recent years. In 2013 I was advised by council officers in that to get all our roads up to standard would take £20 million per annum over a 10 years period. In recent years the Council has been spending only £2.2 million per annum, a mere 10% of what’s required”.

“Now I fully understand we don’t have an odd £20 million sitting in a drawer, but prioritising an additional £3.3 million to road and pavement resurfacing would have resulted in 2.5 times as many crumbling roads and pavements being resurfaced. This could have made a huge difference to communities across Aberdeen”.

“Instead, Labour, Conservative and Independent councillors continue to waste resources on the likes of Marischal Square, a glossy brochure promoting their time in office and other pet projects”.

Council Inaction As Lang Stracht Heads Towards Gridlock

Kingswells, Sheddocksley, Summerhill councillor Steve Delaney proposed embarking on the first steps towards dualing the Lang Stracht at Aberdeen City Council’s budget meeting last week.

Steve has been campaigning for the road to be dualed for the past ten years, both in respect of the poor design of road and how it does not lend itself to the free flowing of traffic, but also in view of plans for significant development along this corridor.

He said, “750 homes are planned for Maidencraig and 3,000 at Countesswells. There’s also a proposed housing development of 370 homes on the former Summerhill Academy site. With current plans suggesting the main route in and out of Countesswells will also be the Lang Stracht and the other two developments already destined for the Lang Stracht, it’s pretty obvious we have a problem here”.

Steve told councillors, “In order to keep the city moving we need to take action now. We’ve delivered the Third Don Crossing, we’re progressing the Berryden Corridor and of course a new crossing over the River Dee. Lets ensure that we don’t become blinkered and consider that it’s a case of job done, because it’s certainly not”.

“Currently the Lang Stracht’s near gridlock and occasionally can gridlock in the morning peak. And it’s for that reason that I’ve been advocating the dualling of this road for the past ten years. However, with the advent of the AWPR next year, this will become an access route for many people living in my neck of the woods to access the bypass, so things can only get worse”.

The first stage towards making improvements would have been an options appraisal on the Lang Stracht. This would have identified the extent of that problem and offered up some evidence based solutions going forward.

Regrettably this proposal attracted no support from Labour, Conservative or SNP councillors

Environmental Improvements Rejected By Council

Liberal Democrat proposals at last week’s budget meeting offered some environmental improvements in an otherwise tight budget which would have improved the overall look of our neighbourhoods across Aberdeen.

Kingswell, Sheddocksley, Summerhill councillor Steve Delaney said, “Some of the most common complaints I receive relate the how our area looks and how standards have slipped in recent years. Grass cutting is a prime example where, in order to save money, the Council has reduced the number of grass cuts per year”.

“This results in grass growing longer between cuts and making a mess of our pavements as soon as it does get cut. This is not only unsightly but it also presents a slip hazard, especially for elderly and disabled people”

The Liberal Democrats proposed an additional £500,000 to be spent on increasing the number of cuts per annum in order to improve the look of our open space, but also to minimise the mess which is left behind after cuts. Another issue of concern which they tried to address was tree maintenance.

“Steve said, ‘The tree squad has been reduced from 14 people to 2 in recent years. As a result, the focus has to be on attending to dead, diseased and dangerous trees due to budgetary and resourcing pressures. This is resulting in the Council having very little to spend on maintaining the trees they own across the city”.

“The Lib Dems proposed spending an additional £120,000 in order to clear the backlog of dead, diseased and dangerous tree works to free up some spend on traditional tree maintenance”.

Also in the proposals put forward by the Liberal Democrats was a one off expenditure of £200,000 on upgrading the grounds of all sheltered housing blocks across the city. It related to an idea Steve put to the the grounds maintenance team three years ago which has since been successfully trialed in at least one sheltered block since.

Steve said, “The shrubs in these areas were planted decades ago and many are not ideally suited to this type of environment. They grow far too tall and have become straggly over time, catching on people’s hands and clothes and allowing unsightly weeds to grow beneath them”.

“Were these to be replaced by low ground cover plants, the weeds would be reduced, the appearance of the areas would improve, and end of year maintenance would be less costly”.

“There was clearly scope to roll this out across all amenity areas over time, but I suggested we start with the sheltered blocks first so we can see the difference it makes to people’s enjoyment of their surroundings and then look towards identifying additional budget for other areas in future years”.

Sadly Labour, Conservative, SNP and Independent councillors were not minded to include any of these proposals within their own priorities.

New Temporary Traffic Order Imposed – Greenfern Place Lane East, Whitemyres Avenue

Start Date and Time : 11 March 2017 08:00
End Date and Time : 29 March 2017 22:00

Location : Greenfern Place Lane East, Whitemyres Avenue.

Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order, which will operate from 08:00 on 17 March, 2017, until 22:00 on 18 March, 2017 & 08:00 on 20 March, 2017, until 22:00 on 21 March, 2017 is to impose a temporary prohibition of driving on Greenfern Place Lane East, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Greenfern Road and Arnage Drive.

There will also be a prohibition of waiting on Whitemyres Avenue, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Whitemyres Place and Mastrick Drive from 08:00 on 11 March, 2017, until 22:00 on 16 March, 2017 .

There will also be a prohibition of waiting on Arnage Drive, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Mastrick Drive. and Greenfern Place Lane East from 08:00 on 16 March, 2017, until 22:00 on 18 March, 2017.

There will also be a prohibition of waiting on the north side of Greenfern Road, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Greenfern Place Lane West and New Park Place. from 08:00 on 20 March, 2017, until 22:00 on 22 March, 2017.

There will also be a prohibition of waiting on Mastrick Road, Aberdeen, between its junctions with New Park Place and Derry Avenue from 08:00 on 22 March, 2017, until 22:00 on 29 March, 2017. The measures are necessary to protect public safety during duct laying works being carried out by City Fibre.

Alternate Route : An alternative route is via Greenfern Road,Mastrick Road, New Park Place and Arnage Drive .

Temporary Traffic Order C93C Borrowstone Road

Start Date and Time : 20 March 2017 05:30
End Date and Time : 24 March 2017 22:00
Location : C98C Borrowstone Road

Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order, which will operate from 05:30 on 20 March, 2017, until 22:00 on 24 March, 2017, is to impose a temporary prohibition of driving on the C93C Borrowstone Road, Aberdeen, between Longcairn farmhouse and Springdale Lodge cottages. The measure is necessary to protect public safety during carriageway resurfacing works.

Alternate Route : An alternative route is available via the B979 Kirkton of Skene-Tyrebagger Road, Westhill Drive, Westhill Road, and Brodiach Road.

Traffic Order Imposed – Eday Road

diggingStart Date and Time : 30 January 2017 08:00
End Date and Time : 12 February 2017 22:00

Location : Eday Road

Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order is to impose a temporary prohibition of waiting on Eday Road, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Fernilea Road and Stronsay Drive, from 08:00 on 30 January, 2017, until 22:00 on 3 February, 2017, and also on Stronsay Place, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Stronsay Drive and Summerhill Drive, from 09:00 on 3 February, 2017, until 22:00 on 12 February, 2017, and also on Summerhill Terrace, Aberdeen, between its junction with Summerhill Drive and the boundary between numbers 21 and 23 Summerhill Terrace, from 09:00 on 3 February, 2017, until 22:00 on 12 February, 2017 .

The no-waiting restrictions will not be implemented on any two streets at the same time, and will be demarcated by the use of no-waiting cones as and when required. The measures are necessary to protect public safety during duct laying works being carried out by City Fibre.

Temporary Traffic Order Imposed – Skene Road

diggingStart Date and Time : 30 January 2017 05:00
End Date and Time : 31 March 2017 22:00

Location : Skene Road

Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order, which will operate from 05:00 on 30 January, 2017, until 22:00 on 31 March, 2017, is to impose a temporary prohibition of right turn manoeuvres from, and also on to, the A944 Skene Road, Aberdeen, from a point 125m west of its junction with Kingswells Causeway to a point 125m east of its junction with the B9119 3. The measures are necessary to protect public safety during Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route works.

Alternate Route : An alternative route is available via Westhill Drive Roundabout and the A944 Skene Road, or via Kingswells Roundabout and the A944 Skene Road.

New Temporary Traffic Order Imposed – Mastrick Drive

diggingCategory :Start Date and Time : 30 January 2017 08:00
End Date and Time : 03 February 2017 18:00

Location : Mastrick Drive

Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order, which will operate from 08:00 on 30 January, 2017, until 18:00 on 3 February, 2017, is to impose a temporary prohibition of driving on Mastrick Drive, Aberdeen, between its junctions with New Park Road and Croft Road. Access to properties will be maintained, but no through traffic will be possible. There will also be a prohibition of waiting on either side of Mastrick Drive, Aberdeen, from the boundary between numbers 112 and 114 Mastrick Drive to the boundary between numbers 116 and 118 Mastrick Drive. The measures are necessary to protect public safety during water connection works for a new development.

Alternate Route : An alternative route is available via New Park Road and Arnage Drive.

New Temporary Traffic Order Imposed – Various locations in Mastrick and Sheddocksley

digging

Start Date and Time : 11 January 2017 08:00
End Date and Time : 29 January 2017 22:00

Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order is to impose a temporary prohibition of driving on New Park Place, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Arnage Drive and Mastrick Road, from 08:00 on 11 January, 2017, until 22:00 on 14 January, 2017.

There will also be a prohibition of driving on Kingsford Road, Aberdeen, on the inset road between its northern junction with Springhill Road and the footpath north of Regensburg Court, from 08:00 until 22:00 on 21 and 29 January, 2017. The existing one-way system on Kingsford Road, Aberdeen, on the inset road between its junctions with Regensburg Court and Kingsford Road, shall be suspended to allow access to properties.

Also Brodinch Road, Aberdeen, will be one-way westbound between its junctions with Springhill Road and Brodinch Place, from 08:00 until 22:00 on 21 and 29 January, 2017.

There will be a prohibition of waiting on the following roads; Arnage Drive, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Mastrick Drive and New Park Place, from 08:00 on 9 January, 2017, until 22:00 on 13 January, 2017, and New Park Place, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Arnage Drive and Mastrick Road, from 08:00 on 11 January, 2017, until 22:00 on 14 January, 2017, and Mastrick Road, Aberdeen, between its junctions with New Park Place and Greenfern Road, from 08:00 on 12 January, 2017, until 22:00 on 16 January, 2017, and Greenfern Road, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Mastrick Road and Springhill Road, from 08:00 on 14 January, 2017, until 22:00 on 29 January, 2017. The no-waiting restrictions shall only be implemented as and when required, and will be demarcated by the use of no-waiting cones.

The measures are necessary to protect public safety during duct laying works being carried out by City Fibre.

New Temporary Traffic Order Imposed – FAIRLEY ROAD

diggingStart Date and Time : 10 January 2017 05:30
End Date and Time : 05 February 2017 22:00

Location : FAIRLEY ROAD.

Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

The effect of the order is to impose a temporary prohibition of driving on Fairley Road, Aberdeen, between its Junction with Lang Stracht and its southern junction with Edmond Gardens from 05:30 on 10 January, 2017, until 22:00 on 14 January, 2017. There will also be a prohibition of waiting on the same stretch of road.

Also, there will be a temporary prohibition of driving on Fairley Road, Aberdeen, between its Junctions with Lang Stracht and Kingswood Drive from 05:30 on 13 January, 2017, until 22:00 on 5 February, 2017. There will also be a prohibition of waiting on the same stretch of road.

The no-waiting restrictions will not be implemented on the whole section of road at any one time, and will be demarcated by the use of no-waiting cones as and when required. The second closure will not be implemented until the first closure has been removed. Access to properties will be maintained, but no through traffic will be possible. The measures are necessary to protect public safety during gas main installation works for the Countesswells development.

Alternate Route : An alternative route is available via Kingswood Drive, the C89C Chapel of Stoneywood-Fairley Road, and Fairley Road link road.

Hogmanay Road Closures

diggingAberdeen City Council has made the above-named orders to provide for a wide range of traffic management arrangements, under powers conferred upon it by Section 62(1) of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984, and Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, in connection with the Aberdeen City Council Hogmanay Fireworks event 2016. The temporary traffic management arrangements are shown in the schedule below, and will apply at the times indicated therein.

From 14:00 on 31 December 2016 to 06:00 on 1 January 2017 • Schoolhill, Aberdeen, between its junction with Blackfriars Street and Back Wynd.
• Gaelic Lane, Aberdeen, (whole length) • Little Belmont Street, Aberdeen, (whole length)

From 20:00 on 31 December 2016 to 06:00 on 1 January 2017 • Rosemount Viaduct, Aberdeen. • Blackfriars Street, Aberdeen, (whole length) • St Andrew Street, Aberdeen between its junctions with Blackfriars Street and Charlotte Street.

From 22:00 on 31 December 2016 to 06:00 on 1 January 2017 • Harriet Street, Aberdeen, (whole length) • Crooked Lane, Aberdeen, (whole length) • Schoolhill, Aberdeen, between its junction with Back Wynd and Upperkirkgate, Aberdeen • Upperkirkgate, Aberdeen, between its junction with Schoolhill and Flourmill Lane, Aberdeen. • Skene Street, Aberdeen, from its junction with Woolmanhill Roundabout to its junction with Rosemount Viaduct • Spa Street, Aberdeen, from the access into Denburn car park to its junction with Skene Street.

From 22:00 on 31 December 2016 to 06:00 on 1 January 2017 • Back Wynd, Aberdeen, between Schoolhill and Union Street • The whole of Bridge Place, Aberdeen, • The whole of Bath Street, Aberdeen. • The whole of Windmill Brae, Aberdeen, • The whole of Windmill Lane, Aberdeen

From 23:50 on 31 December 2016 to 00:30 on 1 January 2017 • Denburn Road, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Woolmanhill Roundabout and Wapping Street.

From 23:30 on 31 December 2016 to 00:45 on 1 January 2017 • Union Street, Aberdeen, from its junction with Crown Street to its junction with Market Street Temporary one way system

From 14:00 until 20:00 on 31 December 2016 • Rosemount Viaduct, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Skene Street and Blackfriars Street, permitted direction of travel is eastbound. • Blackfriars Street, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Rosemount Viaduct, and St. Andrew Street, permitted direction of travel is northbound. • St. Andrew Street, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Blackfriars Street and Charlotte Street, permitted direction of travel is eastbound.

From 23:30 on 31 December 2016 to 00:45 on 1 January 2017 • Bridge Street, Aberdeen, from its junctions with Wapping Street and Union Street, with the exception of buses, travelling northbound. • Union Street, Aberdeen, from its junctions with Bridge Street and Crown Street, with the exception of buses, travelling westbound. Temporary suspensions of turning bans

From 23:00 on 31 December 2016 to 06:00 on 1 January 2017 Skene Street, Aberdeen, into Rosemount Viaduct (right turn) Union Street, Aberdeen, into Crown Street (right turn) Parking Restrictions

From 08:00 on 31 December 2016 to 06:00 on 1 January 2017 • Diamond Street, Aberdeen, on either side, between Union Street and Ruby Lane, except for Emergency vehicles. • Rosemount Place, Aberdeen, on the South side, between Hill Street and South Mount Street • Wellington Place, Aberdeen, on the north side, between Crown Street and South College Street.

Parking Restrictions From 18:00 on 30 December 2016 to 06:00 on 1 January 2017 • Schoolhill, Aberdeen, outside RGC (Pocket Park)

Alternative routes shall be available during the closures.

Serious Safety Concerns in Fairley Road

1
As part of ongoing works to take utilities across to the Countesswells development it has been necessary to carry out some roadworks on Fairley Road, but what happened next presented a real danger to both pedestrians and motorists.

Local councillor Steve Delaney said, “I visited the area last Friday and was horrified to see that there was no safe pedestrian access route. In addition, with four way traffic signals nobody knew which way to go or indeed when it was safe to do so”.

“I have had council officials visit the site on several occasions to inspect the traffic management arrangements and ensure that the developer make adaptations to ensure public safety remains their top priority and that cordoned off areas comply with what has been agreed with the council. Unfortunately the situation remains ongoing and I have raised further concerns about the latest arrangements again this afternoon”.

“Disruption in this area was always going to be significant, but there’s ways of managing a job and I’m just thankful nobody has been injured or worse as a result of the lack of basic safety awareness by this developer”.

Works are scheduled to be completed over the weekend. I know this can’t come fast enough for local residents.

Changes in Temporary Traffic Order – Croft Road, Mastrick Drive

digging
This traffic order has been extended

Start Date and Time : 17 October 2016 08:00
End Date and Time : 23 December 2016 18:00

Location : Croft Road, Mastrick Drive

Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order is to impose a temporary prohibition of waiting on Croft Road, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Mastrick Drive and Croft Place, from 08:00 on 17 October, 2016, until 18:00 on 23 December, 2016. There will also be a prohibition of traverse on the same stretch of road. There will be a prohibition of waiting on Mastrick Drive, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Croft Road and New Park Road, from 08:00 on 14 November, 2016, until 18:00 on 23 December, 2016. There will also be a prohibition of traverse on the south footway of the same stretch of road. The measures are necessary to protect public safety during works to form a new entrance and bus stop.
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New Temporary Traffic Order Imposed – Croft Road

diggingThis temporary traffic order has been extended as detailed below.

Start Date and Time : 07 December 2016 18:00
End Date and Time : 23 December 2016 18:00

Location : Croft Road

Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order is to impose a temporary prohibition of waiting on Croft Road, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Mastrick Drive and Croft Place, from 18:00 on 7 December, 2016, until 18:00 on 23 December, 2016. There will also be a prohibition of traverse on the same stretch of road. The measures are necessary to protect public safety during works to form a new entrance and bus stop.

Temporary Traffic Orders in Mastrick

diggingNew Temporary Traffic Order Imposed – Mastrick Drive

Start Date and Time : 12 December 2016 08:00
End Date and Time : 16 December 2016 17:00
Location : Mastrick Drive
Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order, which will operate from between 08:00 and 17:00 daily from 12 December, 2016, until 16 December, 2016, is to impose a temporary prohibition of waiting on Mastrick Drive, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Lang Stracht and Whitemyres Avenue. The measure is necessary to protect public safety during footway resurfacing works.

Changes in Temporary Traffic Order – Croft Road, Mastrick Drive

Start Date and Time : 17 October 2016 08:00
End Date and Time : 07 December 2016 18:00
Location : Croft Road, Mastrick Drive
Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order is to impose a temporary prohibition of waiting on Croft Road, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Mastrick Drive and Croft Place, from 08:00 on 17 October, 2016, until 18:00 on 2 December, 2016. There will also be a prohibition of traverse on the same stretch of road. There will be a prohibition of waiting on Mastrick Drive, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Croft Road and New Park Road, from 08:00 on 14 November, 2016, until 18:00 on 2 December, 2016. There will also be a prohibition of traverse on the south footway of the same stretch of road. The measures are necessary to protect public safety during works to form a new entrance and bus stop.

Kingswells Temporary Traffic Orders

diggingNew Temporary Traffic Lights Imposed – C93CStart Date and Time : 05 December 2016 19:00

Start Date and Time : 05 December 2016 19:00
End Date and Time : 06 December 2016 05:00
Location : C93C
Description : Temporary traffic signals for use during AWPR works to the north of the A944 Skene Road. Operational 1900-0500.

New Temporary Traffic Lights Imposed – C89C Chapel of Stoneywood to Fairley Road

Start Date and Time : 30 November 2016 09:30
End Date and Time : 03 December 2016 15:30
Location : C89C Chapel of Stoneywood to Fairley Road
Description : Temporary traffic lights in use for AWPR works – at Dykeside Roundabout. Working 09.30 to 15.30 each day.

Kingswells Roadworks Update

A944_2_sOngoing roadworks have been causing untold disruption around Kingswells and regrettably there’s more to come.

Lib Dem councillor Steve Delaney met last week with road officers to discuss what’s in the pipeline over the coming weeks and months.

The good news is that the C128C Kingswells to Cults road is set to re-open on 23rd December and there are currently no further planned lane closures on the A944 between the Sheddocksley and Kingswells roundabouts.

However, there will be works required in connection with the AWPR. It will be necessary to remove the temporary bridge where the AWPR crosses the A944 and this will result in lane closures and contra flow traffic over one or two weekends in December. Further works will then be needed to tie in the new roundabout to the A944 next Spring. It will also be necessary to close off part of the C89C beside the Craibstone Golf Course.

Steve said, ‘These are all necessary works needed for the safe and timely delivery of the AWPR. I highlighted to officials the difficulties being faced by Kingswells residents who several closures and diversion fall at the same time and the need to avoid such clashes moving forward”.

“I asked for the closure of the section of the C89C can be held back until after the New Year in order to minimise disruption in the run up to Christmas and to avoid clashing with other ongoing works. It is hoped this will be possible”.

“Needless to say, details of all new and ongoing roadworks will continue to be published on this website as details emerge”.

Maidencraig Bridge

img_3361The dangerous bridge near the Maidencraig Nature Reserve between Summerhill and Hazlehead has been demolished.

A new temporary bridge has been put in place until a permanent replacement is built. There will be a flood prevention scheme going into this area in conjunction with the new Maidencraig development. A new bridge will be included as part of that design. There is currently no timescale for these works.

Local councillor Steve Delaney said, “I’m pleased the old bridge has been replaced as it was beginning to look decidedly unsafe. This is a walkway used by school children, dog walkers and others, so I’m delighted to see these concerns have been addressed”.

Changes in Temporary Traffic Order – Borrowstone Road

diggingStart Date and Time : 14 November 2016 05:30
End Date and Time : 18 November 2016 22:00
Location : Borrowstone Road
Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order, which will operate from 05:30 on 14 November, 2016, until 22:00 on 18 November, 2016, is to impose a temporary prohibition of driving on the C93C Borrowstone Road, Aberdeen, between Borrowstone Farm and Rivehill Farm. Access to properties will be maintained, but no through traffic will be possible. The measure is necessary to protect public safety during carriageway resurfacing works.
Alternate Route : An alternative route is available via the A944 Skene Road, the C89C Chapel of Stoneywood-Fairley Road, and the U90C Tulloch Road.

Changes in Temporary Traffic Order – Croft Road, Mastrick Drive

diggingStart Date and Time : 17 October 2016 08:00
End Date and Time : 02 December 2016 18:00
Location : Croft Road, Mastrick Drive
Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order is to impose a temporary prohibition of waiting on Croft Road, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Mastrick Drive and Croft Place, from 08:00 on 17 October, 2016, until 18:00 on 2 December, 2016. There will also be a prohibition of traverse on the same stretch of road. There will be a prohibition of waiting on Mastrick Drive, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Croft Road and New Park Road, from 08:00 on 14 November, 2016, until 18:00 on 2 December, 2016. There will also be a prohibition of traverse on the south footway of the same stretch of road. The measures are necessary to protect public safety during works to form a new entrance and bus stop.

Autumn Leaves Clearing

IMG_0168.JPGAs is usual for this time of year, everywhere is covered in autumn leaves and these can present difficulties for people who are less steady on their feet. Unfortunately the clear up tends to take longer than we would all like, due to the number of leaves and the huge area to be covered.

Local councillor Steve Delaney said, “I have received assurances from the council that leaf clearing will be their priority between now and the end of the year. They have hired additional sweepers to speed up this work and they are confident they will have all the leaves cleared up before Christmas”.

A944 Lane Closures This Weekend

CountesswellsResidents will have noticed signage regarding roadworks planned for the A944 over the next two weeks.These relate to taking service ducts across from Kingswells to the new Countesswells development. Gas connections are to be taken across the A944 on the weekend of 5th and 6th November with further works planned.

Lib Dem councillor Steve Delaney said, “I was very concerned to see these notices appear without any warning. This merely adds to the existing misery resulting from the closure of the Cults road and the subsequent increase in traffic on the A944”.

“I have received assurances from Aberdeen City Council that these works will be carried out off-peak and will not result in the road being closed at any point, which would have been unthinkable, though there will be lane closures”.

Communities, Housing & Infrastructure Meeting 1st November 2016

Town HouseThis committee has overall responsibility for Trading Standards, Bon Accord Care, Aberdeen Crematorium, Aberdeen Heat & Power, council housing, community centres, waste collections, environmental services, roads, pavements, street lighting and a whole lot more.

They also receive reports from the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service and Police Scotland and question senior officers. Their next meeting takes place on Tuesday 1st November at 14.00 at the Town House and is open to the public.

Notable items for discussion are a request for taxis to be permitted to use bus gates, a Police Scotland report on serious and organised crime, proposed changes to housing allocation policy, various road traffic orders (new and in progress), AWPR side road speed limits and this year’s winter maintenance programme.

This meeting is open to the public and the full agenda can be found here.

Bridge of Dee To Close Overnight For Up To Three Weeks

bridge-of-deeThe Bridge of Dee is due to close overnight for up the three weeks, beginning on 24th October.

The bridge will be closed in both directions each night between 7.30pm and 6am to allow Bear Scotland to carry our repairs. Traffic will be diverted along Riverside Drive and Great Southern Road.

The Bridge of Dee is part of the A90 trunk road and is managed by Transport Scotland and not by Aberdeen City Council.

You can find out more here.

Changes in Temporary Traffic Order – CHAPEL OF STONEYWOOD TO FAIRLEY ROAD

diggingAn existing Temporary Traffic Order has been modified. The details are as follows :
Category :Temporary Traffic Signal
Traffic Order Number :2016/274/TL
Emergency : No
Start Date and Time : 10 October 2016 09:30
End Date and Time : 28 October 2016 15:30
Location : CHAPEL OF STONEYWOOD TO FAIRLEY ROAD
Description : Temporary traffic lights in use for AWPR works – between North Kingswells junction and Kepplehills junction. Working 09:30 to 15:30.

Temporary Traffic Lights Imposed – CHAPEL OF STONEYWOOD TO FAIRLEY ROAD

diggingA New Temporary Traffic Lights has been imposed with the following details :
Category :Temporary Traffic Signals
Traffic Order Number : 2016/274/TL
Emergency : No
Start Date and Time : 10 October 2016 09:30
End Date and Time : 14 October 2016 15:30
Location : CHAPEL OF STONEYWOOD TO FAIRLEY ROAD
Description : Temporary traffic lights in use for AWPR works – between North Kingswells Junction and Kepplehills junction. Working 09:30 to 15:30.

Broad Street Safety Concerns Highlighted

Artist-impression-of-Marischal-SDetailed plans for a rejuvenated Broad Street were today approved unanimously by Aberdeen City Council. The plans offer an attractive streetscape designed to be more pedestrian friendly, with innovative lighting, a water feature and an area of greenery.

Whilst backing the plans, Liberal Democrat leader, Ian Yuill, expressed concerns over the decision to remove traffic lights from the junction of Upper Kirkgate, Gallowgate and Broad Street. However, it was agreed that the appropriate infrastructure to support traffic lights would be present, should this later be considered necessary.

Local councillor Steve Delaney said, “With a bus a minute running through Broad Street, my concerns about pedestrian safety remain. I can only hope that these fears are never realised”.

“With regard to the design itself, it’s surprising appealing and will add much value to the area, even if we are faced by the monstrosity of Marischal Square across the road!”

New Temporary Traffic Lights Imposed – c93c Borrowstone Road

diggingA New Temporary Traffic Lights has been imposed with the following details :
Category :Temporary Traffic Signals Start Date and Time : 03 October 2016 09:30
End Date and Time : 07 October 2016 15:30
Location : c93c Borrowstone Road
Description : Temporary traffic signals for use during AWPR works north of the junction with Skene Road. Operational 0930-1530 each day.

New Temporary Traffic Order Imposed – Croft Road, Mastrick Drive

diggingA New Temporary Traffic Order has been imposed with the following details :
Category :Parking Restriction
Start Date and Time : 17 October 2016 08:00
End Date and Time : 02 December 2016 18:00
Location : Croft Road, Mastrick Drive
Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order is to impose a temporary prohibition of waiting on Croft Road, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Mastrick Drive and Croft Place, from 08:00 on 17 October, 2016, until 18:00 on 11 November, 2016. There will also be a prohibition of traverse on the same stretch of road. There will be a prohibition of waiting on Mastrick Drive, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Croft Road and New Park Road, from 08:00 on 14 November, 2016, until 18:00 on 2 December, 2016. There will also be a prohibition of traverse on the south footway of the same stretch of road. The measures are necessary to protect public safety during works to form a new entrance and bus stop.

Changes in Temporary Traffic Order – C89C Chapel of Stoneywood to Fairley Road

diggingAn existing Temporary Traffic Order has been modified. The details are as follows :
Category :Road Closure
Start Date and Time : 16 September 2016 20:00
End Date and Time : 17 October 2016 06:00
Location : C89C Chapel of Stoneywood to Fairley Road
Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order, which will operate from 20:00 on the Friday evening until 06:00 on the Monday morning on weekends beginning 30 September, and 7, 14 October, 2016, is to impose a temporary prohibition of driving on the C89C Chapel of Stoneywood-Fairley Road, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Kingswells Crescent and the C88C Newhills Road. Access to properties will be maintained, but no through traffic will be possible. The measure is necessary to protect public safety during AWPR works.
Alternate Route : An alternative route is available via the A944 Skene Road, Lang Stracht-Green Hedges, and A944 Lang Stracht, the A90 North Anderson Drive, the A96 Great Northern Road, Auchmill Road, and Inverurie Road.

New Temporary Traffic Lights Imposed – C89C Chapel of Stoneywood to Fairley Road

diggingA New Temporary Traffic Lights has been imposed with the following details :
Category :Temporary Traffic Signals
Start Date and Time : 01 October 2016 09:30
End Date and Time : 02 October 2016 15:30
Location : C89C Chapel of Stoneywood to Fairley Road
Description : Temporary traffic signals for use during AWPR works 500m north of the junction with Kingswells Crescent. Operational 0930-1530 each day.

Consultation on Eday Crescent Play Area Refurbishment

EdayAberdeen City council is holding a public consultation event for the refurbishment of the Eday Crescent play area.

This will be held from 12.30-15.00 on Tuesday 6th September at Mastrick Library. The different options for the play area refurbishments will be available to view.

A council officer will be on hand to answer questions and note opinions from members of the public who wish to comment.

Further consultation on all of these sites will take place in the local primary schools where some of the real experts in play areas will have a chance to make their views known.

Access To Properties During Kingswood Drive Resurfacing

diggingSome concerns have been raised by local residents regarding access to their homes during the resurfacing of Kingswood Drive between Broaddykes Drive and Coldstone Avenue from 3rd to 5th September. There should have been a letter drop (from the Council) to all affected residents but this does not appear to have happened.

There will be some minor hold ups as the work is carried out but residents and emergency vehicles will always have access to their residence in Coldstone Avenue. There may times when at key points of the operation there will be slightly longer delays but these will be at a minimum while the work is at or near the junction.

Broaddykes Drive will be closed to vehicular traffic at its north-most entrance though access from the other entrances to the Broaddykes/Huxterstone area will not be effected during these works. Traffic management signs will be put in place to help guide drivers until the work is carried out.

Temporary Traffic Order Imposed – C89C Chapel of Stoneywood to Fairley Road

diggingAberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order, which will operate from 20:00 on the Friday evening until 06:00 on the Monday morning on weekends beginning 16, 23, 30 September, and 7 October, 2016, is to impose a temporary prohibition of driving on the C89C Chapel of Stoneywood-Fairley Road, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Kingswells Crescent and the C88C Newhills Road. Access to properties will be maintained, but no through traffic will be possible. The measure is necessary to protect public safety during AWPR works.
Alternate Route : An alternative route is available via the A944 Skene Road, Lang Stracht-Green Hedges, and A944 Lang Stracht, the A90 North Anderson Drive, the A96 Great Northern Road, Auchmill Road, and Inverurie Road.

Temporary Traffic Order Imposed – C89C Chapel of Stoneywood to Fairley Road

diggingAberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order, which will operate from 00:00 on 8 September, 2016, until 18:00 on 7 March, 2017, is to impose a temporary 40mph speed restriction on the C89C Chapel of Stoneywood-Fairley Road, Aberdeen, between its junctions with the C88C Newhills Road and Kingswells Crescent. There will also be a prohibition of right turn manoeuvres at the junction with the C89C Chapel of Stoneywood-Fairley Road on to the two new access roads approximately 75 metres north east of Dykeside Steading. The measures are necessary to protect public safety during the movement of construction vehicles associated with the AWPR

Changes in Temporary Traffic Order – C89C Chapel of Stoneywood-Fairley Road

diggingABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL HEREBY GIVES NOTICE UNDER THE ROAD TRAFFIC ACT 1984 OF TEMPORARY RESTRICTION OF TRAFFIC In the interests of public safety at the access to and egress from Circus Vegas From 09:00 on 17 August, 2016, until 23:00 on 28 August, 2016, there will be a temporary 40mph speed restriction on the C89C Chapel of Stoneywood-Fairley Road, Aberdeen, from its southern junction with Kingswood Drive to a point 500m north of its southern junction with Kingswood Drive. There will be a temporary 30mph speed restriction on the C89C Chapel of Stoneywood-Fairley Road, Aberdeen, from a point 500m north of its southern junction with Kingswood Drive to a point 200m south of its northern junction with Kingswood Drive. There will be a temporary 40mph speed restriction on the C89C Chapel of Stoneywood-Fairley Road, Aberdeen, from a point 200m south of its northern junction with Kingswood Drive to its junction with Kingswells Crescent. THE COUNCIL REGRETS ANY INCONVENIENCE THAT MAY BE CAUSED BY THIS TEMPORARY MEASURE, WHICH IS IN THE INTEREST OF PUBLIC SAFETY.

Temporary Traffic Order Imposed – Lewis Road, Derbeth Crescent, Colonsay Crescent

diggingAberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order, which will operate from 09:00 until 16:00 on 29 August, 2016, is to impose a temporary prohibition of driving on Derbeth Crescent, Aberdeen, between its junction with Lewis Road and a point 10 metres in a westerly direction. There will also be a prohibition of waiting on either side of Lewis Road, Aberdeen, between a point 20 metres south of its junction with Colonsay Crescent to a point 55 metres north of its junction with Derbeth Crescent, and also on either side of Colonsay Crescent, Aberdeen, between its junction with Lewis Road and the boundary between numbers 1 and 2 Colonsay Crescent. The measures are necessary to protect public safety during ironwork repairs being carried out by Scottish Water.

Alternate Route : An alternative route is available via Sheddocksley Drive and Springhill Road.

Temporary Traffic Order Imposed – C93C Borrowstone Road

diggingAberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order, which will operate from 18:30 on 19 August, 2016, until 06:00 on 22 August, 2016, and from 18:30 on 26 August, 2016, until 06:00 on 29 August, 2016, is to impose a temporary prohibition of driving on the C93C Borrowstone Road, Aberdeen, between Westholme and East Kingsford Cottage. Access to properties will be maintained, but no through traffic will be possible. The measure is necessary to protect public safety during works associated with the AWPR.

Alternate Route : An alternative route is available via the B979 Clinterty-Kirkton of Skene, Wogle Road, Westhill Drive, and the A944 Skene Road.

Temporary Traffic Order – AWPR 28 C89C

diggingAberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order, which will operate from 20:00 on the Friday evening until 06:00 on the Monday morning on weekends beginning 19, 26 August, and 2 September, 2016, is to impose a temporary prohibition of driving on the C89C Chapel of Stoneywood-Fairley Road, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Kingswells Crescent and the C88C Newhills Road. Access to properties will be maintained, but no through traffic will be possible. The measure is necessary to protect public safety during AWPR works.

Alternate Route : An alternative route is available via the A944 Skene Road, Lang Stracht-Green Hedges, and A944 Lang Stracht, the A90 North Anderson Drive, the A96 Great Northern Road, Auchmill Road, and Inverurie Road.

Missed Opportunity for Broad Street

Artist-impression-of-Marischal-SAberdeen City Council has taken the decision to remove cars from Broad Street, whilst maintaining it as a through route for buses.

A Liberal Democrat amendment to fully pedestrianise the area was defeated by Labour, SNP, Conservative and Independent councillors. Instead they favoured “part-pedestrianisation”, with buses sharing the space with pedestrians.

Liberal Democrats went to lengths to point out that there is no such thing as “part-pedestrianisation”, it’s either pedestrianised or it’s not!

Kingswells, Sheddocksley, Summerhill councillor Steve Delaney said he would prefer to see the buses off Broad Street to make best use of the open space.

He also raised safety concerns about the use of shared surfaces, referring to the time when buses were permitted in the area of George Street in front of what’s now John Lewis. He spoke of pedestrians being lured into a false sense of security, only for a bus to come belting round the corner.

With regard to the public consultation exercise, Steve said, “I was concerned to see the consultation merely asked people’s views on the pros and cons of the three options. It did not even ask people to express a preferences. I would have liked to have known what the public thought before taking this decision, but sadly that was a missed opportunity. If nothing else I felt it was disrespectful to those who attended the events”.

Roadworks In Kingswells

diggingThe Old Lang Stracht bus route will be closed from 26th June to 3rd July inclusive. This is necessary to allow resurfacing to be carried out from the junction with Fairley Road to a point 200 metres eastwards. The X40 and X18 buses will be diverted along Fairley Road to the Kingswells roundabout then onto the A944 to the Green Hedges roundabout and onto the Lang Stracht during these works.

Local councillor Steve Delaney said, “This road is in a terrible state and I’m delighted to see these works are finally happening. It’s just a pity we’re only looking at a 200m section being resurfaced rather than its whole length, but it’s welcome nonetheless”.

Bus Route Diversion in Sheddocksley

As a result of resurfacing works in Arran Avenue between Benbecula Road and Skye Road, the No 23 bus will be diverted. The roadworks are due to run from 16th – 20th May inclusive.

Access to homes in Benbecula Road, Uist Road, Taransay Road, Lismore Gardens and Berneray Place will be maintained from 16th – 18th May, but there could be delays between 8am and 5pm.

On 19th and 20th May access will not be possible between 8am and 5pm when the road is being laid, until the surface has set. There will be no bus service on Lewis Road from Stornaway Crescent to Skye Road.

Additional bus stop will be in place on Lewis Road along the diverted route. Details as follows:-

Start date and time 16 May 06:00
End date and time 24 May 24:00

Service 23 when heading to Sheddocksley terminus
Normal service round Lewis Road to Sumburgh Crescent then:
• left into Sumburgh Crescent
• continue along Sumburgh Crescent
• right into Lewis Road
• continue along Lewis Road (using all temp stops)
• left onto the Lang Stracht (spend any layover time at the last temp stop on Lewis Road)

Buses

More Roads Misery for Kingswells

A944_2_sThe first phase of the Countesswells development is about to begin and associated roadworks have already started. This is a development of about 3,000 homes phased over 10-15 years on the south side of the A944 between the Sheddocksley roundabout and the Kingswells roundabout.

In advance of the first houses being built, public utilities (electricity, gas, water mains, plumbing, sewerage, telecoms etc) need to be taken from Kingswood Drive (near its junction with Fairley Road) across the A944 and over to the Cults road. In other words we are talking about months of disruption for Kingswells residents once again”.

“These works will result in road closures, diversions or other traffic management measures on Kirk Brae, Cults, C128C Cults to Kingswells, Countesswells Road, Kingswood Drive and the A944 Aberdeen to Alford carriageway.

In order to minimise the time taken to complete the works, construction teams will operate up to 12 hours a day Monday to Saturday with the possibility of Sunday working. Liberal Democrat councillor Steve Delaney has asked that extended hours not be worked on Kingswood Drive in order to offer some respite to residents in adjoining streets.

The first two phases of eleven are being conducted at the Countesswells Road end of the site with phase three being the Cults to Kingswells road (south end). The A944 works, Kingswells roundabout, Kingswells to Cults road (north end) and Kingswood Drive are affected during phases six to nine”.

“Access to Kingswells will be preserved at all times, though there will be lane closures on the A944 in the vicinity of the Kingswells roundabout and on the C89C Newhills road.

Roadworks are scheduled on Kingswood Drive between 18th July and 19th August during which time a one way system will operate from a point just northwards of its junction with Fairley Road to its junction with the C89C Newhills road.

Steve Delaney said, “It appears that public utility works have the right to carry out major works such as these as long as appropriate traffic management proposals are put in place. The fact these works will have a negative impact on Kingswells whilst offering no benefit to the area, does not seem to feature. No sooner have the dug up our roads and they’re back to dig them up again!”

“I asked for the Kingswood Drive works to be undertaken during the school holidays when there’s less traffic on the roads and this has been confirmed. I also asked for the extended working hours to be avoided in residential areas and this is being considered”.

“These are small but significant concessions. Unfortunately there will still be significant delays getting in and out of Kingswells via the A944 and the closure of the Cults road and there’s no getting around that”.

Removal Of “No Ball Games” Signs

_85113988_noballgamesAberdeen City Council has taken the decision to remove signage banning ball games across the city. All current signage is destined to be removed within the next 12 months and no new signs will be erected.

The decision was taken on the basis that these signs have no legal force, therefore no action can be taken against anyone who ignores the signs. In addition, it was also accepted that outdoor play should be supported and encouraged to foster team building and help tackle childhood obesity.

Lib Dem Group Leader Ian Yuill, supported by local councillor Steve Delaney had asked for a report back in six months identifying areas which are unsuitable for ball games with recommendations on how to manage these locations. In addition, the Lib Dems asked the committee to undertake an information campaign aimed both at those playing ball games and local residents, outlining what constitutes appropriate use of open space and ball play”.

Steve said, “Whilst supporting the sentiment of this proposal, I believe some basic safeguards should be put in place to reassure those who are subjected to unreasonable or ongoing anti-social behaviour. Those playing ball games need to respect local residents and their property. Anti-social behaviour and damage to property remain totally unacceptable and this decision must not be regarded as a free for all”

“Putting in place green space management for areas where it would be inappropriate to play with balls just makes sense. Similarly, an information campaign to outline what is acceptable and what is not, would have helped balance rights with responsibility and made it clear who to contact in respect of ongoing instances of unacceptable behaviour.

Disappointingly Labour, Conservative, SNP and Independent councillors took the decision to remove the signage without taking on board the Lib Dem proposals.

Potholes Report in January

Local councillor Steve Delaney called for a report on pothole repairs at the Communities, Housing & Infrastructure Committee on 27th August 2015.

Steve said, “I note one of the poorest customer ratings has gone to roads maintenance. A couple of years ago we were trialling a number of different approaches to pothole repairs, but I’ve heard no more on the outcome of these trials”.

“Two years on, many repairs are still of poor quality. Furthermore, repairs are being undertaken to areas which meet the set criteria only and adjoining defects which do not fit this criteria are being left. The result is that these areas soon afterwards meet the criteria and repeat visits are needed. I struggle to see how this can be cost effective”.

Steve requested a report to a future committee outlining the current criteria for road repairs, detailing the repair processes for repairing potholes and outlining any possible improvements which could be introduced”.

It was agreed this report will be considered by committee in January 2016.

New Heating System for Regensburg Court

Steve at RegensburgAberdeen City Council set up Aberdeen Heat & Power in 2002 to deliver combined heat and power solutions for hard to heat multi-storeys. The city now has a network of buildings linked directly to their combined heat and power infrastructure, complimented with several stand alone district heating systems. Where possible the Council also seeks to link public buildings into the CHP “grid” as larger scale initiatives are more economic to operate.

Three years ago local councillor Steve Delaney asked the Council to look at the inclusion of Regensburg Court in any future rollout. At that time the programme was fully committed to works elsewhere, though it was agreed this proposal would be given serious consideration. He also asked if Kingsford School could be included to improve the potential viability of any such a scheme.

On 27th August 2015 the Communities, Housing & Infrastructure Committee approved the inclusion of a district heating (stand alone) system for Regensburg Court in the next investment phase during 2016/2017. They are also looking at the feasibility of extending the initiative to include Kingsford School, as was initially requested. At committee, Steve also asked for the viability of connecting this new scheme to the existing district heating system at Mastrick Land with a view to eventually connecting directly into the combined heat and power “grid” at a future date. It was agreed this will be looked at further.

Steve said, “Combined heat and power along with district heating lifts tenants in hard to heat properties out of fuel poverty and assists us in meeting our carbon reduction targets. This will make a huge difference to heating bills at Regensburg Court. It’s been a long time coming, but I’m absolutely delighted and I know tenants will be too”.

Countesswells Update

CountesswellsAs a result of a failure of the members of the Countesswells Consortium to sign an agreement legally binding them to deliver the schools, roads and other infrastructure, the Planning Application came back to Council.

This application refer to land to the south of the A944 between the roundabout at the end of Lang Stracht to the Kingswells roundabout, where 3000 homes and associated facilities are destined to be built.

Local councillor Steve Delaney said, “When we first considered this last year, I was happy enough with the proposals within the site boundary but voted against the application due to the absence of any detailed traffic mitigation proposals. I considered this to be an unsafe position then, and it has become more so over time. It’s some 10 months later and we still don’t know whether or not sufficient measures will be put in place to address this legitimate concern”.

The proposal before councillors had advocated the signing of separate agreements with the different developers.

Comment in on this, Steve said, “If we proceed, there is a real risk that contributions do not all line up as expected as a result of any disputes or disagreements between developers. A “best case negotiated settlement” may not necessarily represent the level of contribution which is needed to address either the required education or roads requirements, or indeed both”.

Steve voted to refuse the application on the basis that the current roads infrastructure could not cope with the increased traffic and no details of traffic mitigation had been put forward. When that was defeated he supported the previous Council decision to progress the development but only following the signing of the said legal agreement jointly by all three developers. This proposal eventually won the day.

He said, “It’s not up to the Council to sort out falling outs between developers. They either agree to take joint responsibility for delivering the roads and schools needed to support this development or they don’t build”.

Sheddocksley Roadworks

diggingA number of roadworks are soon to commence in the Sheddocksley area. There will be a prohibition on driving and parking in order to ensure public safety during gas mains replacement works.

These works will be carried out in a phased manner. No phase will commence until such times as the phase before it has been completed, so dates given are subject to alteration.

Phase 1, Sheddocksley Road, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Bellfield Road and Kingsford Road, from 07:30 on 24 August, 2015, until 24:00 on 11 September, 2015.

Phase 2, Sheddocksley Road, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Kingsford Road and Auchlea Road, from 07:30 on 31 August, 2015, until 24:00 on 25 September, 2015.

Phase 3, Sheddocksley Road, Aberdeen, between its junction with Auchlea Road and and its southern junction with Windford Square, from 07:30 on 7 September, 2015, until 24:00 on 9 October, 2015.

Phase 4, Sheddocksley Road, Aberdeen, between its junction with Windford Road and its southern junction with Sheddocksley Drive. Sheddocksley Drive, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Borrowstone Place and Sheddocksley Road. Borrowstone Place, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Sheddocksley Drive and Derbeth Crescent, from 07:30 on 14 September, 2015, until 24:00 on 23 October, 2015.

Phase 5, Derbeth Crescent, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Borrowstone Place and number 20 Derbeth Crescent, from 07:30 on 21 September, 2015, until 24:00 on 6 November, 2015.

Please contact Scottish Gas Network or the Roadworks Coordinator at Aberdeen City Council for more details.

Lib Dem Budget Supported Education, Infrastructure & Local Communities

Town HouseOn 5th February 2015 Aberdeen City Council passed its General Fund and Common Good Budgets for 2015/16. This essentially covers everything except Council housing, which was dealt with in December.

All Parties were agreed on over 99% of the £455 million expenditure on essential services, with the different groups proposing alternative spending priorities for the remainder. The Liberal Democrats prioritised education, roads resurfacing, potholes, street lighting and the gritting/clearing of roads and pavements in winter.

The Lib Dem proposals on Education, which were rejected by Labour, SNP, Conservative and Independent councillors offered additional funding to every school in the city based upon their school roll. It was for head teachers to use this where they saw the greatest need.

Local councillor Steve Delaney said, “Had this proposal been accepted, it would have resulted in an addition £12,807 going to our primary schools, consisting of £4,384 for Kingswells, £2,995 for Kingsford, £2,762 for Fernielea and £2,706 for Muirfield. Secondary education was not forgotten either with an additional £6,689 earmarked for Hazlehead and £4,472 for Bucksburn. At just £200,000 for the whole city, this represented an affordable investment in our children’s future”.

The Liberal Democrats, acknowledging the Council’s inability to keep our roads and pavements clear of snow and (more importantly) ice during a fairly mild winter, also put forward proposals to help address the deficiency. They proposed additional staff and equipment to grit an extra 12.5 miles of pavements AND 12.5 miles of side roads/cul-de-sacs on a “normal” snowy day. During the rest of the year these staff would be deployed to undertake an additional 6,000 road surface treatments/pothole repairs. This was a fully costed proposal which was affordable to the Council, but rejected by Labour, SNP, Conservative and Independent councillors.

As in previous years the Lib Dem Group proposed an additional £2 million expenditure in our crumbling infrastructure. This would have delivered an additional 5.5 miles of road resurfacing, or 5.5 miles of pavement resurfacing or 1,333 lighting columns or a combination of these to best meet priorities within our communities.

Steve Delaney said,”I was advised by officials a couple of years ago that £20 million of investment is needed per year for the next 10 years to bring our infrastructure up to scratch. Aberdeen’s Labour led Council spends about 20% of what’s needed each year, allowing our roads and pavements to further deteriorate with little hope of being resurfaced in the short term. Sadly this is not a priority for them”.

The Liberal Democrats also put forward proposals to set aside £250,000 from the Common Good Fund to make awards of up to £15,000 to local organisations to support projects which would deliver long term benefit to communities. In fairness, many councillors, cross-Party saw merit in this approach but other than the Lib Dem members, none were willing to support them when it came to the vote.

Lib Dems Call For 20mph Speed Limit In Aberdeen

IMG_0169-0.JPG Democrat councillor Ian Yuill is asking Aberdeen City Council to look at the “feasibility, desirability and implications” of introducing 20mph speed limits on many more Aberdeen Roads.

Ian Yuill’s move came after the City of Edinburgh Council agreed to introduce 20mph speed limits across much of Scotland’s capital.

Ian Yuill said “I want the council to find out what Aberdeen’s residents, communities and businesses think of introducing 20mph speed limits across much more of Aberdeen. Other cities have introduced widespread 20mph limits but that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily right for Aberdeen. I do think though that it is worth investigating.”

“Many residential roads in Aberdeen already have 20mph limits or are ‘20s Plenty’ zones. People living in other areas regularly ask for reduced speed limits or traffic calming on roads to improve pedestrian and road safety. It may make more sense to look at a more widespread 20mph scheme rather than continue a piecemeal approach.

“Clearly, if a 20mph scheme was ultimately introduced in Aberdeen, it would not apply to every single road in our city. As has been the case in other cities introducing widespread 20mph speed limits, major roads in Aberdeen would continue to have a 30mph or 40mph speed limit. ”