Update provided to councillors on Aberdeenshire Council's historic asset projects
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Councillors have received an update on Aberdeenshire Council's Historic Asset Management Project (HAMP) including the priority work for St Brandon’s Churchyard at Inverboyndie.
During the Banff and Buchan area committee meeting on Tuesday local members were informed of the latest progress.
The total number of HAMP assets in Aberdeenshire is 619, with 111 located in Banff and Buchan.
It was outlined to councillors that St Brandon’s Churchyard is the priority project for the coming 2024/2025 financial year.
In the report that went before them from environment planner/project officer Christine Pert it said: "For the coming 2024/2025 financial year, the budget for the HAMP project is anticipated to be £177,700.
"For the priority project for 2024-2025 HAMP is working to secure the long-term stability of St Brandon’s Churchyard, Inverboyndie.
"In 2019, a section of the wall collapsed. The wall and churchyard are Category B listed and the church is a scheduled monument.
"As a temporary measure, a net has been secured over the area of wall failure, to catch falling stone.
"The wall is a retaining wall, and buttresses installed in the mid-20th century.
"The ground outside the churchyard is significantly lower than the ground inside the churchyard, with ground on the churchyard side pushing the wall outwards.
"The consultant’s report found the wall to have no weep holes to allow for the release of water pressure and the ground the site sits on is unstable and shows signs of past landslips.
"The council does not own the land adjacent to the churchyard, it has signed a lease to allow works to build up the ground slope along the outer edge of the churchyard wall to take place. All statutory consents are in place."
The tender for the work is expected to go out in the new year, with a site start date planned for May 2024 to be completed by September.
The report added that other projects are planned but their progress is dependent on the funding awarded to the St Brandon’s project.
The work was prioritised due to health and safety when assets were damaged by storms or when walls collapsed.
At St Drostan’s in New Aberdour, scheduled monument consent has been progressed with Historic Environment Scotland (HES). HAMP is to apply for the 40 per cent HES grant.
At Elphinstone Aisle, Kildrummy, scheduled monument consent is now in place to allow repairs for the programmed start on site in spring 2024.
At Leslie Parish Church, Inverurie Cemetery (Bass) and Methlick there are repairs to be made to the cemetery boundary walls.
At Old Parish Church of Crimond there are repairs needed to the church and gateposts. HAMP are discussing the repairs with HES with the 40 per cent grant from HES to be applied for.
The report added: "Working alongside colleagues in the archaeology service, HAMP funds new and replacement interpretation boards at council owned historic assets and other sites of historical interest.
"No new interpretation boards have been installed since 2020, due in large part to Covid. The programme will resume during the second half of the current financial year."
Councillors agreed the recommendations of the report, which will also go before the other area committees and then to the infrastructure services committee for final approval.
