Shire Councillors Welcome SNP Conference Backing For Affordable Rural Housing

Aberdeenshire Council SNP Group has welcomed the backing for its position on rural social rented accommodation at the party's Spring Conference in Aberdeen last week.

The motion, which was also backed by the party's Aberdeenshire West Constituency, highlighted the role which community enterprises could play in helping to facilitate accommodation. It was passed by acclaim by delegates.

Moved by Aboyne, Deeside and Upper Donside Councillor Geva Blackett and seconded by West Garioch Councillor Allison Grant, the motion also welcomed the commitment of the Scottish Government to exploring how the supply of new housing could be encouraged.

Speaking afterwards, Cllr Blackett said:

"Many of our small rural settlements struggle to attract and retain young people due largely to a shortage of affordable housing for rent.

"If we want to maintain these communities as vibrant, economically active and sustainable places to live and work, then it's clear that we need to do more to increase the supply of housing.

"The Scottish Government can be proud of its record to date when it comes to housing. The Government's commitment to exploring how new measures and existing ones, such as the Scottish Land Fund, the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill and the Big Lottery Fund’s Growing Community Assets programme, can empower small rural communities to achieve their ambitions, is one which we warmly welcome."

"For me, community ownership offers an exciting and innovative way forward to tackling this problem. I will be working hard to help communities in my ward to develop sustainable community ownership projects."

Cllr Allison Grant added:

"Our resolution focused on smaller rural settlements throughout Scotland and the difficulties many of our young people find trying to afford to live and work in our communities, keeping them alive and vibrant places to live in.

"I am a mum of three boys and our family has lived in the village of Insch for 30 years. Our oldest son is 23 and studying Occupational Therapy at Robert Gordon’s University and despite the fact that he could probably get work locally, his chances of finding affordable, secure, rented accommodation locally are slim.

"However, times are changing and have changed considerably thanks to our SNP Government and its commitment to plough hundreds of millions of pounds into building a record amount of affordable homes. Its absolute commitment to social rented housing, enabling our Councils throughout Scotland to build more houses than at any time since the early 1990s.

"I'm delighted that the Conference has reaffirmed the SNP's commitment to affordable rural housing, and that the Scottish Government will be moving to empower local communities to better meet their housing needs."

The Wording of the successful motion was as follows:

Conference notes the pressures on small rural settlements in retaining young people and seeks to ensure the continuity of these communities as vibrant, economically active and sustainable places to live and work.

Conference believes that the availability of affordable rented accommodation is a major issue in many of these communities and that community enterprises could have a greater role in delivering accommodation for young people by facilitating provision through social and private property owners.

Conference welcomes the Scottish Government’s commitment to exploring how new measures and existing ones, such as the Scottish Land Fund, the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill and the Big Lottery Fund’s Growing Community Assets programme, can empower small rural communities to achieve their ambitions.

Read more...

Councillors Hear That 850 Hit by Tory/LibDem Bedroom Tax in Aberdeenshire

Aberdeenshire councillors heard today that over 850 locally have been hit by the Tory/Lib Dem UK Government’s decision to target tenants with the Bedroom Tax.

The discriminatory tax affects around 80,000 households in Scotland, 80 per cent of which are the home of a disabled adult, and 16,000 of which are the home of families with children.

In April 2013 more than 850 tenants in Aberdeenshire (approx 7% of the council’s housing stock) were affected by the Bedroom Tax, which reduces housing benefit by 14% for those deemed to have one bedroom more than they need, and 25% for those with two or more bedrooms extra.

Commenting SNP councillor Allison Grant (West Garioch) said:

“The UK Government has shown a reckless lack of care and attention to the consequences of the introduction of the Bedroom Tax for low-income households.

"In contrast the SNP Government is doing all it can to help mitigate the impact of this divisive policy and Nicola Sturgeon pledged that funding for Discretionary Housing Payments will continue next year with another £20 million to help victims of the London Government’s Bedroom Tax.

“The Scottish Parliament’s Welfare Reform Committee produced a report which shows that over 300 of those currently in rent arrears in Aberdeenshire are in arrears purely as a result of the Bedroom Tax. That is a shocking figure and it makes it all the more worrying that the Tory/Lib Dem/Labour administration in Aberdeenshire Council wouldn’t commit to removing the threat of eviction from those in arrears as a result of the Bedroom Tax.”

Fraserburgh & District councillor Brian Topping added:

“The UK Government is actually penalising people for not being able to move to one-bedroomed properties because previous Tory Governments sold them off and didn’t build replacements.

“A majority of Scottish MPs voted against the introduction of the Bedroom Tax yet it has still been imposed on us. Only a Yes vote in next year’s independence referendum will scrap the Bedroom Tax and we will not have governments we didn’t vote for imposing ridiculous policies like this on us.”

Read more...

Aberdeenshire SNP Members Call for Sheltered Housing Audit

SNP Councillors, who have repeatedly expressed concerns on the impact of cuts to Sheltered Housing officer cover, will again challenge the Administration to audit the needs of Aberdeenshire’s Sheltered Housing residents at a meeting of Full Council on Thursday.

The move follows a debate in the Social Work and Housing Committee in December which saw members divide 8-6 over an SNP amendment which sought to commit the Council to carry out a full assessment of the needs of sheltered housing residents. Members were presented with the results of a survey commissioned by the Council which revealed that, a year after the changes were initiated; both staff and residents reported a number of ongoing concerns and shortcomings in the new system. Those concerns have more recently been corroborated in a consultation of sheltered housing staff who are members of the union, Unison.

The controversial changes to warden cover, which were implemented between November 2011 and January 2012, have seen the replacement of full time warden cover with mobile warden teams. The number of permanent sheltered housing officer posts has reduced from 110 to 75 (full time equivalent) over this period.

During the debate, SNP Councillors voiced anxiety that the different needs of sheltered housing complexes, particularly those in rural areas, would not be considered adequately under the administration’s proposals, and successfully moved that the matter be referred to Full Council for further debate.

SNP Social Work and Housing Spokesman, Councillor Anne Allan (Peterhead North & Rattray), said she was concerned that current recommendations didn’t go far enough.

“Keeping matters ‘under review’ and waiting for problems to be reported isn’t good enough. We have to do our best to identify gaps in provision now – I’m pleased that we will now have the opportunity to consider this matter as a full council”

The SNP amendment was moved by Councillor Allison Grant (West Garioch), and seconded by Councillor Geva Blackett, (Aboyne, Upper Deeside & Donside), who added:

“My ward contains some of the hardest to reach sheltered housing in Aberdeenshire, particularly in adverse weather. Older people are often the least likely to complain about their lot - and we have an Administration which is in denial about this.

“It is only by carrying out a full audit of residents’ needs that we can be sure that they are being properly addressed”.

Councillor Rob Merson (Ellon & District) who has been a stern critic of the cuts to Sheltered Housing Officer cover, commented:

“The hard truth is that the consultation which was carried out with staff and residents was a damning indictment of the new system - and the Unison report has only served to confirm that those concerns are justified.

“I am extremely grateful that my colleagues in the Social Work & Housing Committee have called for urgent action on this issue and referred it for discussion at Full Council. That will mean that every councillor will be able to vote on this important issue – and will enable the public to identify those councillors who are not prepared to stand up for one of the most vulnerable sectors of our society.”

The move was welcomed by Fraserburgh sheltered housing resident, Martin Coull, who has campaigned against the cuts, and remarked:

“Aberdeenshire Council was extremely defensive when I lodged a complaint with the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman against the initial consultation which they commissioned from Lowland Market Research. I therefore trust that they will be equally as diligent in accepting the concerns which have been reported in this one, and confirmed by the findings of the Unison report.

“These are real people the Council is dealing with here, and the residents of Aberdeenshire’s sheltered housing complexes will expect their elected representatives to look to their consciences.”

Read more...

Want to Visit your Councillor's Surgery? Best Get on Facebook as Council Slaps Ban on Advertising Consultations

A proposal to ban the advertising of councillors’ surgeries will come before an Aberdeenshire Council committee on Thursday. The move has already been condemned by Inverurie & District councillor Bryan Stuart, stating that the move will make it more difficult for the public to access their councillors.

Under plans put forward by Head of Customer Communication & Improvement Kate Bond in a move to save just £4000 per year, councillors are instead to “be supported to set up their own Facebook page to promote engagement with their constituents”. Surgery details will continue to be listed on the council website, as they are at the moment.

Commenting, Cllr Bryan Stuart (SNP-Inverurie & District) said:

“I simply see it as part of my job to be available to my constituents, regardless of who they voted for or indeed whether they voted at all, although I appreciate some councillors don’t hold surgeries. Councillors are there to serve their local communities and I said when I stood for election that I would strive to do my best and that’s what I hope to continue to do.

“It’s difficult to do your best to be accessible though if the council won’t advertise to let the public know that their elected representatives are holding surgeries. Not everyone is on Facebook or the internet and newspapers are still the first place many people turn to for local information.

“The costs involved are minimal and the ban on letting people know through their local paper when their councillors are available just serves to place a further obstacle between the voters and those elected to serve them at a time when we should be encouraging more contact, not resorting to secrecy by hiding information from those without access to computers.”

Official figures obtained from Aberdeenshire Council show that SNP councillors in West Garioch and Inverurie wards are the most accessible.

Figures show that in West Garioch, SNP councillor Allison Grant held 29 advice surgeries during the period from the 2007 election to the end of 2011. Liberal Democrat councillors Sheena Lonchay and Hazel Al-Kowarri held 5 each during the same period. Since the 2012 election, Councillor Lonchay has been appointed as Chair of the Garioch Area Committee.

In Inverurie, figures show that SNP councillor Bryan Stuart was the only councillor to hold any advice surgeries at all during the period from the 2007 election to the end of 2011. Cllr Stuart held 27 advice surgeries while Liberal Democrats Martin Kitts-Hayes and Michael Raeburn and Conservative Richard Cowling held no surgeries at all during the same period. Since the 2012 election, Councillor Kitts-Hayes has been appointed Deputy Leader of the Council.

Read more...

West Garioch Councillor Welcomes Inveramsay Progress

SNP councillor for West Garioch, Allison Grant, has welcomed Transport Minister Keith Brown’s confirmation of the preferred route for the Inveramsay Bridge improvements on the A96.

Commenting, Councillor Grant said:

“I’m delighted at this further announcement and it is clear that the pace of progress on this is picking up rapidly.  This represents real progress over a very short period of time since the SNP Government came to power.

“When one considers the length of time the Liberals were in office in the previous Scottish Executive with absolutely no action whatsoever taken to deal with this issue, it’s a bit rich for Liberal MPs and MSPs to jump on this particular bandwagon.”

Transport Minister Keith Brown said:

“The Scottish Government is committed to improving traffic flow on the A96 at the Inveramsay Bridge.

“Locals and visitors can expect significant benefits through reduced congestion and improved journey time reliability on one of the north of Scotland's main routes. The works will also enable the removal of the existing traffic signals from the road.

“Following the public consultation last October, the ‘road over rail river route’ option has been identified as delivering the best value for money, whilst minimising disruption to existing road users. It is also offers additional safety benefits relating to the height restriction on the existing structure and separates local agricultural traffic from other vehicles.”

The works are expected to be completed during this Parliamentary term, subject to the satisfactory completion of statutory processes.

1. Images of the preferred option and documents can be found here.http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/files/documents/projects/Option-C-Public-Exhibition-2011.pdf
2. The Transport Minister announced £5 million as part of budget consequentials in February 2012 to ensure that construction of the Inveramsay Bridge improvement works takes place this Parliamentary term, subject to satisfactory completion of statutory processes. The total estimated cost of the scheme is £12-15million.
3. An Environmental Impact Assessment will be carried out and draft Road Orders will then be produced and published.
4. Further public consultation and an exhibition will also be held to seek comments on the Draft Road Orders. This is expected to take place in Spring 2013.
5. The preferred option, Option C in the public consultation last October, described as the “road over rail river route (with accommodation underpass)”, is an offline route which runs from 100m west of the existing Inveramsay Bridge eastwards towards the River Ury. It runs parallel with the river for approximately 600m before turning southwards and crossing over the railway line. The road then comes back onto the line of the existing road. This option includes a new junction at the existing Inveramsay Bridge to provide local access, two new field accesses and an accommodation underpass.

Read more...

Surgery Figures Reveal Local SNP Councillors Are Most Accessible

Official figures released by Aberdeenshire Council show that SNP councillors in West Garioch and Inverurie wards are the most accessible.

Figures show that in West Garioch, SNP councillor Allison Grant held 29 advice surgeries during the period from the 2007 election to the end of 2011.  Liberal Democrat councillors Sheena Lonchay and Hazel Al-Kowarri held 5 each during the same period.

In Inverurie, figures show that SNP councillor Bryan Stuart was the only councillor to hold any advice surgeries at all during the period from the 2007 election to the end of 2011.  Cllr Stuart held 27 advice surgeries while Liberal Democrats Martin Kitts-Hayes and Michael Raeburn and Conservative Richard Cowling held no surgeries at all during the same period.

Commenting on the figures, SNP MSP for North-east Scotland Mark McDonald said:

“Allison Grant and Bryan Stuart are to be congratulated on their work rate and for making themselves publicly available to their constituents.

“These figures clearly show that SNP councillors take their role very seriously and are prepared to put in the hours.  Electing SNP councillors is a guarantee of getting someone who will work hard and listen to the concerns of their constituents throughout their term of office, as the evidence shows."

Inverurie & District SNP councillor Bryan Stuart said:

“I simply see it as part of my job to be available to my constituents, regardless of who they voted for or indeed whether they voted at all.  Councillors are there to serve their local communities and I said when I stood for election in 2007 that I would strive to do my best and that’s what I hope to continue to do."

West Garioch councillor Allison Grant added:

“Surgeries are, of course, not the only way of getting in touch with councillors and I deal with a huge number of e-mails and phone calls as well, but I think face-to-face contact with constituents is very important because there will always be some people for whom that is the preferred way of conducting their business."

Read more...

West Garioch Councillor Welcomes Inveramsay Announcement

SNP councillor for West Garioch, Allison Grant, has welcomed Transport Minister Keith Brown’s confirmation of funding to start construction at Inveramsay Bridge on the A96.

Commenting, Councillor Grant said:

“I’m delighted at this news.  This represents real progress over a very short period of time since the SNP Government came to power.

“When one considers the length of time the Liberals were in office in the previous Scottish Executive with absolutely no action whatsoever taken to deal with this issue, it’s a bit rich for Liberal MPs and MSPs to jump on this particular bandwagon.”

Transport Minister Keith Brown said:

“Today’s announcement of budget allocations will see investment of nearly £72 million in our transport infrastructure right across Scotland.

“We recognise the enormous role that Scotland’s strategic road network plays in to improving journey times, relieving congestion and making our roads even safer for our communities and businesses.

“That is why we are allocating £8 million to two key schemes in the North-east of Scotland.

“£5 million is being invested towards the £12-15m Inveramsay Bridge on the A96 to ensure that work on an improved structure can begin.  This funding will go a significant way towards funding the construction costs for the scheme.  While this is subject to completion of the statutory process, the works will remove the need for the existing traffic signals, remove congestion and reduce delays for road users on one of the north of Scotland’s main arterial routes. “

Read more...

Local SNP Councillors Welcome Inveramsay Bridge Plans

Local SNP councillors Allison Grant (West Garioch) and Bryan Stuart (Inverurie & District) have welcomed the plans on display this week for upgrading the A96 Inveramsay Bridge.

Transport Scotland is staging an exhibition of the proposed options this week at Inverurie Golf Club for the public is to get the chance to view proposed options for the improvement works.

The works are planned to remove the need for the existing traffic signals, remove congestion and reduce delays for road users on one of the North of Scotland’s main routes.

Commenting after visiting the exhibition, West Garioch councillor Allison Grant said:

“I am delighted with the excellent progress the Scottish Government has made with the plans for improvements to the Inveramsay Bridge. I am pleased that there are a number of options available for the public to consider and comment on.”

Inverurie & District councillor Bryan Stuart added:

“A lot of work has gone into the options on display in Inverurie today, which are of particular interest to local residents at Inveramsay and Pitcaple. The existing bridge has to be replaced for those living in the area to enjoy the full benefit of the AWPR when it is delivered.

“It is vital for the economy of the North of Scotland that a smooth-flowing and safe two-lane proposal becomes reality as soon as possible after years of neglect of this issue by previous Westminster-focussed politicians.”

Transport Minister Keith Brown MSP said:

“The Scottish Government is committed to improving traffic flow on the A96 at the Inveramsay Bridge. That is why Finance Secretary John Swinney announced the go ahead to progress the scheme as part of the Spending Review in September 2011.

“The decision on which is the most effective route to take forward will take account of several factors, such as the environment, engineering considerations, potential disruption during construction and value for money. It is anticipated that Transport Scotland will complete the selection of a preferred route by next Spring.”

Read more...