NEIGHBOURHOOD ACTION PLAN

Meeting on Tuesday 23 September in Village Hall

Twenty/thirty people managed to come to this meeting, which was open to all residents of Culter and was called to give people a chance to air their views on how they would like to see Culter develop over the next 10 years. Many opinions and comments were given on the night, as well as several telephone calls, and the main ones were (in no particular order):

• Floral decorations require improvement on North Deeside Road e.g. more planters, containers and baskets. Suggestions were that CCC contact Aberdeen City Council (ACC); window boxes supplied to people who are willing to have them; shops and business to be encouraged to take part. Co-ordination required.

• Signs at both ends of the village need to be improved.

• Traffic Management: too many speeding cars & lorries on NDR and Malcolm Road . Speed signs like in Aberdeenshire? Speed limits or bumps on Cairn Road , School Crescent and The Bush from Hillside Road to Malcolm Road . (The Bush Road is private so CCC can’t do anything about that.)

• Sheltered Housing: Cllr Pam MacDonald was more hopeful than for some time. Possibilities are Coronation Court , Council Depot and piece of land behind Health Centre.

• Sports Centre: Bookings have to be made through Beach Centre not locally. Difficulty in getting lets for football for children. Often ‘outsiders’ get preference. Any possibility of swimming pool combined with Sports Centre?

• Youth Groups: Many groups in Culter but none has a ‘home’ - they all meet in places for hire. Combined centre for all the groups to share. (£££ million!!) At present BBs are proposing a site on Coronation Road and Culter Boys Club at their new pitches west of Culter Football Club premises. What about piece of land behind Health Centre (or Coronation Court ) combining BBs and Scouts?

• Young People: Open air, properly surfaced area with goalposts, basketball nets, skate boarding etc. at side of Water Tower (bottom south end of School field). Youths (Pr 6 and 7) are being involved with design. Cost £36,000 - also looking for Lottery money and other funding. School would get daytime use so they are backing it.

• Policing: Need for Community bobbies to be more high-profile and not taken away so often to other parts of the City. People of all ages are afraid to come out, especially in the evening. Shops are feeling effects of this. Lack of responsibility - some parents do not care what their children are doing. CCTV?

• Civic Pride in Culter: At one time, shopowners/householders cleaned outside their premises/houses but now everyone waits for someone else to do it. This applied all year round not only during snowy periods.

Future Meetings: As several people have let us know they were unhappy about the timing of the meeting (it was held in the evening and was the day after the September Holiday) we wish to be made aware of YOUR views about our choice of timing and venue. What time of day would you find the most convenient? Would you rather come to the Village Hall or the Heritage Hall?

YOUR OPINION MATTERS! Let one of the Community Councillors (as listed on the back of the Courier) know what best suits YOU so we can arrange these important meetings for a time and place that suits everyone.

M J Skinner Secretary CCC