SNP Councillors Welcome Small Grants Scheme for Banff's Bridge Street

A new small grants scheme and street improvement project for Bridge Street, Banff has been launched. The scheme, which is in partnership with Historic Scotland, is part of wider town centre improvements being carried out by Aberdeenshire Council in the town.

£500,000 covering a five-year period has been awarded from Historic Scotland for conservation-led regeneration in Banff.

Banff was awarded conservation status in 1973, defining it as an area of special architectural or historic interest in which it is desirable to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the area.

Awards of up to £10,000 will be available for owners of properties on Bridge Street to carry out a variety of works, including repairs to roofs, traditional windows and front doors, shop front restoration and reinstatement of architectural features.

Welcoming the scheme, Banff & District SNP councillor Ian Gray said:

“I’m pleased to see this coming forward and hope that it will help turn around the bridge Street area which has suffered in recent years.

“While regeneration measures are needed across a range of our communities, I think schemes which focus in on small areas can provide an important first step along the road to seeing the wider area benefit, and I hope that other such schemes will be forthcoming in future if this one proves successful.”

Vice-chairman of the Banff & Buchan Area Committee, Cllr Brian Topping added:

© Aberdeenshire Council

“The sense of place and character that is found in Banff is second to none and by enhancing the town’s conservation status, one of Aberdeenshire’s most valued historic places will be safeguarded.”

“It is very exciting that funding has been secured to allow renovations and repairs to these historic buildings.

“Any owners of properties on Bridge Street should attend this meeting as it will give them the opportunity to understand how the application process will work.

“I am also glad to see steps being taken to consult with the public over more general improvements to the street. I also encourage all those interested in seeing Banff flourish to attend to ensure we gain as much feedback as possible.”

If you require further information about the scheme, please contact: Aberdeenshire Council, Town House, Low Street, Banff, AB45 1AY or email christine.pert@aberdeenshire.gov.uk.

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Banff Councillor & MSP Welcome Duff House Agreement With Historic Scotland

Banff & District SNP councillor Ian Gray has welcomed the move to transfer the day-to-day running of Duff House from Aberdeenshire Council to Historic Scotland.  The move comes after the visitor attraction was threatened with closure over the winter months by the council, who are one of the partners responsible for the house and gallery.

Scottish Ministers, in the shape of Historic Scotland, and the National Galleries of Scotland are the other partners involved in the running of Duff House.  Following an intervention by First Minister Alex Salmond, who has always been a keen supporter of Duff House, winter closure has been averted with Historic Scotland now taking over the managing of the facility.

Commenting following yesterday’s meeting of the council’s Policy & Resources Committee which agreed the move, Cllr Ian Gray said:

“This is good news for Duff House.  We need to hold on to all the visitor attractions we have on the Banffshire Coast and this move should allow the staff at Duff House more freedom to promote and market what is a unique facility not just for the North-east but for the whole country.

“This is an exciting opportunity both for Duff House and the staff as Historic Scotland undoubtedly have much wider experience of promoting visitor attractions and can provide more effective support to the staff to carry out their job than the council ever could.”

Banffshire & Buchan Coast MSP Stewart Stevenson also welcomed the change, adding:

“I’m pleased that local councillors, working together with the Scottish Government, have managed to overcome the difficulties which faced Duff House.

“It would have been a great pity if the original plan to close Duff House for part of the year had gone through.  I look forward to this important visitor attraction being more rigorously marketed and promoted under these new arrangements, thereby providing a boost to the local economy in terms of, hopefully, increased visitor numbers.”

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Local Councillors Welcome Mobile Police Surgeries To Banffshire

Local SNP councillors Bob Watson (Troup) and Ian Gray (Banff & District) have welcomed the news that Grampian Police will be reaching out to local communities across Banffshire this month.

Officers will be taking the Mobile Police Surgery to Aberchirder and Gardenstown and making themselves available to discuss any issues of concern with local residents.

Commenting, Councillor Ian Gray, who represents Aberchirder, said:

“The continued police focus on Aberchirder in light of the criminal activities of a number of individuals there earlier this year is to be welcomed.

“Matters have improved greatly in the village but there is no room for complacency and intelligence-led policing which aims to nip and future problems in the bud before they become problems is very much a two-way process.

“I hope that Foggie residents will take the opportunity to meet with their local police officers and continue to support them in their task.”

Councillor Bob Watson added:

“I very much welcome this initiative from Grampian Police. It is important that police officers are accessible and available in all our communities to get first hand information from local residents.

“Thanks to the SNP Scottish Government’s pledge to put 1000 extra police officers on our streets, our police force is able to take initiatives such as these. The reform of policing in Scotland which is designed to protect front-line services will lead to more resources being available by stripping out layers of management and continued community policing in the face of the cuts being handed down from the Westminster Government.”

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SNP MSP & Councillor Welcome Bypass Progress

Moray’s MSP Richard Lochhead and SNP Councillor for Banff & District Ian Gray, have welcomed the opening of the first section of the Fochabers Bypass between Cowfords and Coul Brae.

The section was opened by the SNP Government’s Minister for Housing & Transport, Keith Brown MSP.

Commenting, Richard Lochhead MSP said:

Richard Lochhead MSP with then Transport Minister
Stewart Stevenson MSP at Mosstodloch

“I am delighted that the Fochabers and Mosstodloch Bypass is making excellent progress towards completion and the opening today of the section bypassing Mosstodloch is an especially major milestone.

“In total the investment is over 30 million pounds over a 5 kilometre stretch, which is already demonstrating its value with a big emphasis on improved safety.

“The workforce on the project at all levels are really pushing on with it and the full completion is well on target for early 2012 – now less than 6 months away.

Banff & District SNP councillor Ian Gray said:

“The opening of this first section is great news for communities in this part of Banffshire. The route past Mosstodloch in particular brings a major improvement in road safety.

“For people in this area, the improved journey times that this will mean to Elgin and Inverness make this project almost as important as the Aberdeen Bypass as many people here look towards Elgin for services such as the NHS rather than Aberdeen.

“I’m delighted at the progress made so far and look forward to the completion of the Fochabers bypass.”

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COUNCILLOR CONDEMNS ‘LUDICROUS’ TAXI PROPOSALS

A local councillor has condemned as “ludicrous” draft proposals from Aberdeenshire Council to introduce an age limit of 5 years on vehicles used as taxis at the time of the renewal of their licence.

Banff & District SNP councillor Ian Gray says the move is unnecessary and will cause financial problems for local businesses, putting jobs at risk.

Commenting, Councillor Gray said:

“This is a totally unnecessary proposal. Given the reliability of vehicles these days, it is completely ludicrous to even consider forcing taxi operators to stop using vehicles which are over 5 years old.

“Taxis are subject to tests to ensure their safety and roadworthiness to carry fare-paying members of the public. As long as these tests are being carried out to a high standard and the public has confidence in the system, there should be no need to introduce an arbitrary age limit on taxis.

“The environmental and economic consequences of doing so are simply horrendous. I am also extremely disappointed that I had to find out about this from constituents of mine. There has been no consultation with local elected councillors on this matter. If there had been, I would have made my views very clear on the subject.”

SNP candidate for Banffshire & Buchan Coast Stewart Stevenson added:

“At a time when taxi businesses are under pressure from high fuel costs, this is the last thing that they need.

“While public safety must always be paramount, I don’t believe that introducing an arbitrary age limit on taxis is the solution. If the vehicle inspection system cannot cope with the number of tests being asked of it, the answer is to upgrade the vehicle inspection system, not to pass new burdens onto taxi operators.”

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LARGE TURNOUT FOR ABERCHIRDER COUNCILLOR’S JOINT SURGERY WITH GRAMPIAN POLICE

Aberchirder SNP councillor Ian Gray has said he was very pleased with the turnout at the surgery he organised jointly with Grampian Police in Aberchirder at the weekend.

Councillor Gray arranged to hold a joint consultation with Sergeant Cameron of Grampian Police following a series of housebreakings and other incidents in Aberchirder recently. However, owing to the large turnout of constituents, the surgery had to move into the main church hall and became a public meeting. Two local males and a local female were charged with 13 offences last month.

Commenting, Councillor Ian Gray said:

“I estimate that there must have been over one hundred people turned up for my surgery with Sergeant Cameron. My Ward colleague Councillor Cox was also present and I thank both of them for coming along.

“It is clear that in spite of the recent arrests made by the police, there remains a lot of anger in the community, partly as a result of the courts letting some of the accused persons out on bail.

“I think the meeting was very useful in that it sent a clear message to the police that there is still much more to do in Aberchirder so that decent law-abiding people can once again feel safe in their own community. I am determined that thugs and criminals are not going to ride roughshod over our community in this way and I will continue to press for further action from the police. In this, I am very pleased to have the support of the local MSP, Stewart Stevenson.”

Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson added:

“Ian Gray is to be congratulated on his initiative in holding this meeting. I have been in regular contact with senior officers in Grampian Police since these criminal acts were first brought to my attention by concerned constituents.

“I have just last week urged the Area Commander, Superintendent McLaren, to deploy more police resources in Aberchirder in order to come down hard on any instances of anti-social or criminal behaviour.”

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COUNCILLOR TO HOLD JOINT SURGERY WITH GRAMPIAN POLICE

Banff & District SNP councillor Ian Gray and Sergeant Cameron of Grampian Police are joining forces to hold a joint surgery for Aberchirder residents.

Constituents will be able to meet Sergeant Cameron and Councillor Gray either together or individually should they wish on Saturday 26 February in Aberchirder.

Commenting on the initiative, Banff & District councillor Ian Gray said:

“There has been some concern in Aberchirder recently over a spate of criminal incidents. I’m pleased that the police have apprehended three local people in connection with 13 crimes, but residents will be understandably worried by this mini-crimewave.

“The police rely on information in order to bring offenders to book and intelligence supplied by local people can be of huge benefit. I’d therefore urge anyone with any information on criminal activities in and around Aberchirder to contact the police or, alternatively, I will be happy to see them at my surgery.

“In addition, if any local residents have issues they wish to raise, myself and Sergeant Cameron will be happy to discuss these.

"I'm very grateful to Sergeant Cameron for making himself available for this surgery."

The surgery will take place on Saturday 26 February in Marnoch Church Hall, Aberchirder. Times will be advertised in the local press.

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LOCAL COUNCILLORS’ ATTENDANCE AT REMEMBRANCE DAY CEREMONIES

Local SNP councillors will be carrying out a number of public engagements as part of Remembrance Day this Sunday, 14 November 2010.

9.30am - Savoch Church, Auchnagatt Cllr Stuart Pratt

10.00am - Peterhead War Memorial, South Road, Peterhead Cllr Anne Allan

10.00am – Stonehaven War Memorial, The Square, Stonehaven Cllr Graeme Clark

10.40am - Maud Church, Bank Road, Maud Cllr Stuart Pratt

11.00am - New Deer Parish Church, Church Crescent, New Deer Cllr Stuart Pratt

11.00am – Cluny Church, Sauchen Cllr Amanda Allan

11.00am – Inverurie War Memorial, The Square, Inverurie Cllr Bryan Stuart

11.00am - Cruden Parish Church, Bishop's Bridge, Cruden Bay Cllr Stephen Smith

11.00am – Laurencekirk Parish Church, Laurencekirk Cllr Jean Dick

11.30am – Foveran War Memorial, Foveran (approximate time) Cllr Rob Merson

12.00pm – Belhelvie Parish Church, Belhelvie Cllr Allan Hendry

12.30pm - New Pitsligo Parish Church, Church Street, New Pitsligo Cllr Stuart Pratt

12.30pm – Whitehills War Memorial, Whitehills Cllr Ian Gray

2.30pm – RAF Banff Boyndie ‘Drome Memorial, Boyndie Cllr Ian Gray

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