Community council's seek review of boundaries

Aberdeenshire councillors will this week be asked to approve potential boundary changes for several north-east community councils.

The review of the scheme for the establishment of community councils is a legal process carried out periodically across the country.

For Aberdeenshire, community councils were asked to provide feedback on their operation, composition and their boundaries.

Several have now provided their comments, most of which relate to boundary changes to which take into account developments which have occurred over the years or future plans which affect communities.

Mintlaw and District community council requested that its boundary extended to take in the site for the proposed business park on the Balring Road.

Currently this lies in Deer community council's catchment area, but as this development will affect Mintlaw directly it is thought pertinent that the boundary is changed.

Echt and Skene community council believes its boundaries should be adjusted so that the area to the north of Dunecht village becomes part of Echt rather than Cluny, Midmar and Monymusk's and the properties within this area are within the catchment for Dunecht School and the residents take part in community activities in Lyne of Skene and Dunecht.

They have also asked that the houses at Hill of Corskie, Bogentory and all of those along the B977 between Dunecht and Lyne of Skene should be in Echt and Skene,

The largest change comes from Inverurie community council who want to revisit the boundary structure between Inverurie and Kintore and

District CC which Inverurie considers has "lost relevance as the communities have developed over the past decade"

Development at Crichie, Thainstone, and the former paper mill specifically are the focus although there are other areas where the impact of decisions of one Council for the other settlement can have far reaching results.

Despite positive discussions, due to a range of factors at present they have been unable to agree an acceptable position for either party.

A spokesman for Inverurie community council said: "We thus believe that current scheme of establishment is not suitable in that it fails to clarify specific items.

"Due to the continued development and expansion of the Inverurie settlement (and others), we believe it is necessary to reassess/ revaluate/ redraw the boundaries so that Inverurie community council can fully represent the constituents who regard their residence as Inverurie though at the moment live in another community council area."

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.