Merson Elected as Formartine Area Chair

At the first formal meeting since the local elections, SNP councillor Rob Merson was today (Tuesday) elected as Chairman of the Formartine Area Committee.  No other nominations were put forward and Cllr Merson was elected unopposed, with Independent councillor, Paul Johnston (Mid Formartine) elected as Vice Chair. 

Commenting after the meeting, Cllr Merson said:

“There can be little doubt that the Formartine Area has been at the very centre of new developments in the North east of Scotland in recent years.  As the home of Trump International Golf Links Scotland, an area of prime interest for the development of wind energy, the site of a new state-of-the-art academy in Ellon and an area indentified for a substantial volume of new house building under the new Local Development Plan, Formartine has clearly identified itself as an area which will be at the very forefront of economic recovery.  The development of the Black Dog to Peterhead Strategic Growth Area, the Energetica corridor, and the dualling of the A90, are all projects which will engage us in the months to come.

“I am delighted to be chairing the Committee which will be so influential in creating an environment to deliver economic growth, and will seek to encourage the highest standards of design and build. 

“In Formartine, we are fortunate in having one of the areas of highest employment and lowest poverty – but we are not devoid of problems, and there are many challenges to be met in our attempts to generate a more inclusive and equitable society.  One of the penalties of success is the high cost of housing, and securing the provision of affordable homes is just one of the many issues which we have to address. We need to provide a standard of education which will maximise the potential of our children so that they can compete in a global market – and also ensure that the older members of our community can live their lives with dignity and respect.

“I therefore very much look forward to working with my colleagues on the Formartine Area Committee in meeting those challenges - and making the most of the opportunities which arise.”