Development Archives - Page 4 of 17

Call For Action Over Unfinished Kingseat Development

Aberdeenshire, Environment No Responses »

Oct 292015

With thanks to Martin Ford.

East Garioch councillor Martin Ford has called on Aberdeenshire Council to see if it can get work resumed on the unfinished Bett Homes development at Kingseat.

The councillor’s plea is made in a letter to Robert Gray, Aberdeenshire’s head of planning and building standards.

“If it can, the Council now really needs to step in and help the residents of Kingseat,” said Cllr Ford.

The planning permission for the mixed use development based on the former hospital site at Kingseat was granted on 9 December 2004. The first new homes at Kingseat were completed on 21 February 2006 – so some residents have now been living in an unfinished development for nearly ten years.

Cllr Martin Ford said:

“The normal position is that once a development is started, how long the work takes is a matter for the developer and will depend, for example, on market conditions or the developer’s other priorities.

“If the Council gives consent for a development, it’s permission to build it, not an instruction.

“For many years in the North-east, planning permissions for housing have generally been implemented in full reflecting the demand for new homes. Kingseat has not followed this pattern, however. With most of the former hospital buildings converted, work then stopped.

“It is completely unfair to Kingseat residents for the developer to leave the site unfinished on an on-going basis. If the Council can do anything to get the developer to resume work, it certainly should.”

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Event Brings Family Fun To Roof Garden

Aberdeen City, Environment No Responses »

Oct 082015

With thanks to Phil Moar, Citrus Mix.

Hosted by Bon Accord & St Nicholas, the family fun day was the first event to be held in the enhanced space and saw attendees enjoy a day of music, food and activities to mark the garden’s completion in style.

At the heart of the garden is now a children’s play area, which was made possible thanks to funding from city-based charity Aberdeen Forward.

The playground is now the focal point of the greenspace, with improved seating, lighting and flower provision also helping to breathe new life into the area.

Members of the charity, alongside representatives from Bon Accord & St Nicholas and Aberdeen Inspired as well as the Lord Provost of Aberdeen George Adam were present to open the play area as it welcomed its first children.

The attraction’s new name was also unveiled, with Glashieburn’s P4 pupil William Stewart’s suggestion of ‘The Silver City Playground’, coming out top in a competition that saw nearly 50 entries submitted from schools throughout Aberdeen.

Guests were treated to a performance and workshop from the Guarana Street Drummers and were also able to take part in a number of activities provided by craft group Busy Beasties.

The event also welcomed special guests in the shape of owls Eral and Hedwig, stars of the recent Harry Potter films, thanks to Aberdeenshire-based Owl and Pussy Cat Centre. Cupcakes and samples from YO! Sushi and Ed’s Easy Diner were also available on the day.

Craig Stevenson, manager of Bon Accord & St Nicholas, said:

“Saturday’s fun day really helped shine a spotlight on some of the new features of the roof garden and it was great to see so many happy faces join us for the celebration.

“The play area has already proved in its first day that it will be a great addition to the space, providing an outdoor area for children within the city centre; something that this part of Aberdeen simply didn’t have before.

“The hard work and dedication shown by all the partners within this project is commendable and we’re pleased that initial feedback on the garden has been positive. Aberdeen now has an enhanced event space right at the heart of its city centre and we look forward to welcoming people to the garden throughout the months to come.”

Kath Deans, landfill community fund officer at Aberdeen Forward/CFINE, said:

“We were thrilled to be involved with the roof garden project and I hope the play area is enjoyed by children for many years to come.

“This was an important project for Aberdeen Forward, which is currently in the process of merging with CFINE. It’s our aim to find worthwhile projects that will benefit from funding sourced through landfill community tax and to have this new play area at the heart of the city is a major positive for Aberdeen.”

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New Head Coach At City Tennis Centre

Aberdeen City, Sport No Responses »

Sep 182015

With thanks to Dave Macdermid.

Westburn Tennis Centre has appointed a new Head Coach whose remit is to steer the direction of the venue’s coaching programmes and work with Sport Aberdeen to increase the breadth of programmes on offer.

Glaswegian David Campbell joins the centre from Thorn Park, where he worked with several junior national players and before that he was head coach at Drumchapel Tennis Club.

The 24 year old is looking forward to his latest challenge.

“Westburn has huge potential that I’ll be looking to capitalise on and I’m very confident indeed that in the team there and their ability to grow and develop tennis there.”

Sport Aberdeen Tennis Development Officer Matt Kerswell added:

“We’re delighted to have David on board. He’ll take a lead on the development of the coaching team through on-court mentoring and regular support and will manage the centre’s members, including the entering of teams in the local leagues for the first time.

“David will also assist with the marketing and business support relating to the Westburn programme and his appointment will result in a significant enhancement of what the centre will have the ability to deliver going forward.”

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Name Sought For Part Of New Roof Garden

Aberdeen City, Articles No Responses »

Sep 182015

With thanks to Jessica Murphy, Senior Account Executive, Citrus Mix

A competition has been launched for primary school pupils in Aberdeen to get involved with the relaunch of a popular city centre greenspace.

Plans for the roof garden near the St Nicholas Centre were announced earlier this year, with over £200,000 in funding secured for the project, including support from Aberdeen Inspired, Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeen Forward, Aberdeen Greenspace, Bon Accord & St Nicholas, Atkins and Creative Core.

The area has been earmarked for a number of additions in an effort to encourage more people to use the city space on a regular basis.

At the heart of the space will be a children’s play area, with environmental charity Aberdeen Forward committing £25,000 to this section of the garden. Business organisation Aberdeen Inspired, along with shopping centre Bon Accord & St Nicholas are looking for the help of schools from across the city to come up with a name for what will be the focal point of the garden.

The revamp is set to be unveiled on October 3 at a family friendly open day, where the winning name for the play area will also be announced and marked with a special plaque.

Craig Stevenson, manager of Bon Accord & St Nicholas, said:

“Work on the roof garden continues to gather pace and we really are delighted with the feedback we’ve received since we announced we were coming together with a range of partners to enhance what is a popular space in the heart of Aberdeen’s city centre.

“With the play area being a new addition, we want to involve as many local primary schools as possible in a competition to come up with a name for this aspect of the space. We’ll be sending information packs to every primary school in the city and we’d be delighted if a class managed to take some time out and put forward a couple of suggestions.

“The winner will be picked in advance of the opening in October and the victorious class will be invited down to the event to help play a part in officially opening it. It’s a chance for a school to be an integral part of a greenspace that is set to serve the community and its visitors for years to come.”

Alongside the children’s play area, vastly improved, modern lighting is also set to be installed to create a safe and welcoming area for families and individuals to enjoy.

An impressive array of wildflowers and plants are also set to breathe new life into the existing planters, with 18 flowerbeds in total aiming to enhance the area’s green space. Improved seating, including provision for picnics, is also part of the plans.

Gary Craig, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired, said:

“The roof garden enhancement continues to move forward and we’re pleased with how things are shaping up; you can really notice a difference already to the aesthetic of the space.

“We’re delighted to be working in partnership with a number of city centre businesses and organisations and this legacy project is a working example of how a joint project approach within Aberdeen can come together to the benefit of the wider city.

“The schools competition adds another element to the project as, with the new play area set to be a main focus of the garden, we are keen to let as many youngsters as possible know about the plans for the space. We want to help create a buzz of excitement in advance of the work being completed and I look forward to reading through the suggestions that are submitted.”

Interested schools that would like to take part in the play area naming competition are asked to contact The Roof Garden team on theroofgardenabz@gmail.com. Further details on the garden’s opening event will be announced in due course.

Picture Credit: “Inside the Bon Accord centre – geograph.org.uk – 1241608” by Stanley Howe. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Commons

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Forty Years Of The Forties Field

Aberdeen City, Articles, Featured 1 Response »

Sep 072015

By Mike Shepherd.

This month marks the 40th anniversary of first oil from the Forties field in September 1975.

A quick search of the internet and you will find photographs of the Queen inaugurating the Forties field on the 3rd November 1975. But don’t tell her majesty, the Forties field was already in operation by that time.

It wasn’t quite the first oil on stream from the UK side; the Argyll field had been producing since June that year, but given the scale of the Forties development, it was a major event.

The Forties field figures prominently in my new book Oil Strike North Sea which is out next week.

In terms of reserves it is the largest field in the UK North Sea and deserves attention for that alone; but not only that, I was to take a prominent role in its development and this allows me to give a first-hand account of what it takes to operate a North Sea field.

Between 1981 and 1986, I was responsible from the geology side in planning a large number of wells in the oil field. I worked both onshore and offshore. After planning the wells in British Petroleum’s (BP) office in Dyce, working closely with the drilling engineers, I would then go offshore to monitor the reservoir section. Amongst other responsibilities, I would tell the drillers when to stop once we were below the oil pay.

The Forties field wasn’t the first commercial oil field discovered on the UK side, that honour goes to Amoco’s Montrose field which was discovered in 1969. When Amoco discovered oil in the first well, the offshore personnel were astonished. They were looking for gas and had no idea that there was oil in the North Sea. Other companies had come across oil shows in wells before, but had kept this highly secret.

There were no sample jars for oil on the rig, so the first sample of commercial oil in the North Sea was brought onshore in a pickle jar that had been grabbed from the rig’s galley.

Amoco had hired the Sea Quest drilling rig from BP to drill the well and handed it back afterwards. The BP geologists were rather surprised to find that a copy of a log showing that oil had been found had arrived with the rig. It had been accidently left on board.

BP had identified the Forties prospect on their seismic data, a massive dome covering 90 square kilometres. It looked enormous and the unintended gift from Amoco gave them comfort that there could be an oil field there.

Yet the BP management had been most reluctant to drill the prospect and for good reasons too; the oil price had been low since 1950 as a result of the large-scale production from the Middle East and North Africa, and a large offshore field requiring very expensive infrastructure could not be assured to make a profit. On top of that, the engineering capability of providing the infrastructure was an unknown, the oil companies had never ventured into such deep and stormy waters.

One of the reasons BP drilled the discovery well was out of desperation. BP had been thrown out of several countries after the oil had been nationalised and the future of the company was somewhat uncertain at the time. It was only with the Yom Kippur war in 1973, when the oil price quadrupled on the back of OPEC sanctions, was it likely that the North Sea would be a profitable concern.

The Forties field is still producing after forty years, with over 2.7 billion barrels of oil recovered. The current operator Apache is still actively chasing the remaining oil in the field by drilling new wells. The Forties field, like many other fields in the North Sea had not been expected to have produced for as long as they have. It’s a testament to the amazing skills developed in the North Sea that our fields have recovered so much oil.

The book launch for Oil Strike North Sea is at Waterstones in Union Street on Wednesday 9th September at 7pm, all are welcome.

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Fanfare For Loirston Loch

Aberdeen City, Opinion No Responses »

Sep 042015

In its infinite wisdom, Aberdeen City Council has turned its back on the voices from the past pleading for this special place to remain undeveloped. We’re losing more countryside so we can have more office spaces. Fiona Archibald paid a final visit to this wildlife haven – before the tree fellers and bulldozers move in – and made this photoessay.

Spoke with ranger today who tells me the trees at the Loirston Loch will be felled in about two weeks to make way for the new development.

Have walked my dogs there daily for around 3 years.

He is not sure if we will get access to the site from that time onwards.

Feeling sad and gutted.

The ranger was quite sad as he told me, the ones are Loirston are not that happy about the development.

I felt quite teary as I walked round with my dogs, they have grown up there.

I have taken so many pictures.

Absolutely heart sick about it.

The short eared owl will disappear when they start with noise etc.

There have been about 15 photographers up from the NE Wildife Scotland site, since I discovered him.

A weathered sign at Loirston Loch read:

“It is important to protect this area of countryside from being built upon.”
Respected for decades, it, the trees, the habitat and the wildlife are all being swept aside.

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Social Housing Completions Up By 20%

Aberdeenshire, Opinion No Responses »

Aug 282015

With thanks to Kenneth Hutchison, Parliamentary Assistant to Dr. Eilidh Whiteford MP

Banff & Buchan MP Eilidh Whiteford has welcomed new figures showing a 20% increase in the number of social sector homes built over the past seven years.
The figures, obtained from a parliamentary question, show that in the last seven years of the Labour-LibDem administration (2000-01 to 2006-07) 28,988 homes for social rent were completed.

In the last seven years of the SNP government, 34,633 social rent homes have been completed – 19.5% more than in the last seven years of the Labour-led executive.

The Scottish Government has pledged an ambitious 30,000 affordable homes to be built by the end of this Parliament, and is on target to deliver with 26,972 affordable homes already built since 2011-12 – 90% of its target. This includes 18,670 homes for social rent – 93% of the Scottish Government’s social rent target, and comes despite real terms cuts to Scotland’s block grant from Westminster.

Commenting, Dr Whiteford said:

“These figures demonstrate the Scottish Government’s commitment to regenerating Scotland’s social housing sector.

“Despite cuts of 26% to our capital budget from the UK Government, the SNP has made affordable housing a priority, and the Scottish Government is doing everything in its power to address the massive waiting lists which developed under successive Conservative and Labour administrations. Indeed, in their last four years in power, Labour built just four council houses in the whole of Scotland,

“Everyone deserves a warm, affordable place to live, and the SNP is committed to ensuring a steady supply of new social housing. The Scottish Government is already on track to deliver 30,000 affordable homes by the end of this Parliament, including 20,000 homes for social rent.”

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Hornblower’s Becomes 100% Scottish Sourced

Aberdeen City, Featured, News No Responses »

Aug 132015

With thanks to Phil Moar, Account Manager, Citrus Mix.

Hornblower’s was opened in 2010 by Alex and Ruth Grahame, and specialises in locally-sourced seasonal food with an emphasis on seafood, .

An award-winning Aberdeenshire fish restaurant and takeaway has become 100% Scottish sourced for all its produce after a new deal was struck that guarantees the serving of Scottish poultry in the north-east.

For over two years, Alex Grahame, who owns Hornblower’s in Gourdon with his wife Ruth, has been campaigning to find a reliable and certified Scottish supplier for poultry.

The restaurant is committed to 100% Scottish sourcing, receiving daily deliveries of fish from either Gourdon or Peterhead harbour, fresh meat from The Store and even salt for its chips from the Hebridean Sea Salt company.

Despite this, affordable high welfare Scottish chicken was always missing from the Gourdon menu as a result of the country’s leading suppliers being tied in with exclusive supermarket deals. This shortage of chicken available for independent restaurants has meant that Hornblower’s has had to source its poultry from further afield.

But now, thanks to help from supplier Braehead Foods and Richard Lochhead MSP, Scottish cabinet secretary for rural affairs, food and environment, an understanding has been formed that will see a proportion of red tractor assured poultry from Blairgowrie made available by 2 Sisters Food Group in Glasgow. This will allow restaurants like Hornblower’s to dish up the nation’s chicken to its customers.

Alex Grahame said:

“This announcement is fantastic news for us and really signals an end to over two years of frustration in terms of countless attempts at trying to source affordable, Scottish, high-welfare chickens.

“The power of the supermarkets is really there for all to see and I’d like to thank Braehead Foods and Richard Lochhead for their role in lobbying this campaign. To have a guarantee of Scottish poultry for inclusion in our dishes is really a victory for every independent restaurant in the country and highlights that change can happen for the greater good.

“We’re delighted to now be in a position to add Scottish poultry to our menu and I’m sure our customers will be delighted to hear that the final piece in our sourcing puzzle has been placed. As a restaurant that is committed to 100% Scottish sourcing, from our local fish to our Scottish drinks and even our ice-cream, to finally get over the line with our promise is a great feeling and one that we’ll look to continue to enhance with the addition of new produce in the near future.”

Richard Lochhead MSP, Scottish cabinet secretary for rural affairs, food and environment, said:

“Hornblower’s in Gourdon is a great example of serving up Scotland’s fantastic larder on menus. We land the best seafood and shellfish in the world in Scotland, especially in the north-east, and Hornblower’s offers this alongside great Scottish beef and now top quality Scottish chicken too.

“It’s great to see Hornblower’s get behind Scottish producers: people want to know the story behind the food they eat especially in this important showcase year of food and drink.

“As Scotland takes its steps towards becoming a Good Food Nation, I would encourage as many retailers and hotels and restaurants to follow the lead of places, like Hornblower’s, that are helping Scotland’s growing reputation as the ‘Land of Food and Drink’.

“We have, with VisitScotland, created the ‘Taste our Best’ accreditation scheme which is going from strength to strength. ‘Taste our Best’ is a great way of helping customers find restaurants offering authentic Scottish provenance. I would be delighted if all hotels and restaurants across Scotland followed suit.”

Craig Stevenson, managing director of Braehead Foods, said:

“We are delighted to be able to offer our customers a fantastic range of Scottish produce, our aim first and foremost is always to source Scottish produce where possible. Braehead Foods work with a vast range of Scottish producers and are proud to promote Scottish produce, not only across the UK and Europe, but across the world.”

Hornblower’s in Gourdon, which specialises in locally-sourced seasonal food with an emphasis on seafood, was opened in 2010 by Alex and Ruth Grahame.

Renowned for its fresh produce, the restaurant and takeaway has built up a reputation for showcasing the best that Scotland has to offer from both sea and field. Committed to 100% Scottish sourcing for all of its fish and meat, the restaurant receives daily fresh deliveries of fish from either Gourdon or Peterhead harbour.

It has also received critical acclaim, most recently scooping the 2015 Best Chippy Chips in Scotland award from the National Potato Council. It was also awarded with a VisitScotland Thistle Award for best informal dining experience in the north-east and Tayside in 2014.

The restaurant has also announced plans to take over the lease for the site of the former Jimmy Chungs and TC Fish restaurant at Aberdeen Beach.

The proposal, which has been submitted for planning permission includes a two-storey 16,000 sq ft restaurant facing the sea front with terraces on the first floor and a heated outdoor sitting area on the ground floor. A 650 sq ft takeaway, a 2,500 sq ft ice cream parlour along with two other restaurants, including The Pier Bistro is also part of the plans.

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Beach Restaurant Development Gets Green Light

Aberdeen City, News No Responses »

Jul 242015

Hornblower's Pic from fb page httpswww.facebook.comhornblowerstimeline (1)

Pic courtesy of Hornblower’s on facebook. https://www.facebook.com/hornblowers/timeline

With thanks to Phil Moar, Citrus Mix.

Plans for a new Aberdeen Beach restaurant development have been given the green light.
The blueprint for the esplanade site of the former Jimmy Chungs and TC Fish restaurant was submitted late last year by award-winning restaurant and takeaway Hornblower’s, in partnership with site owner Rossnow Leisure and TCD Architects.

The site has lain disused since the start of 2014 but has now been granted the required planning permission to be transformed into a bistro-style restaurant and takeaway along with a 1950s-style ice cream parlour.

The 250 seater, 16,000 sq ft restaurant will occupy two floors and will also include various terracing and heated outdoor seating areas, providing unrivalled sea views. It will be accompanied by a neighbouring 650 sq ft takeaway and 2,500 sq ft ice cream parlour.

The restaurant, takeaway and ice cream parlour will be operated by Hornblower’s, with two other restaurants, including The Pier Bistro, also forming part of the complex.

The planning approval follows the recent decision made by Hornblower’s owners Ruth and Alex Grahame to make their current Gourdon premises available for lease. Hornblower’s has operated from the coastal village since 2011, with its locally sourced dishes and its stunning, picturesque setting proving popular with locals and visitors from throughout the world.

Owner Ruth Grahame is delighted that plans for the Aberdeen Beach development have been given the go-ahead.

She said:

“Today’s announcement is the result of months and months of hard work so we’re thrilled that our plans for Aberdeen Beach have been given the green light.

“When the site came on the market, it immediately grasped our imagination. In terms of location, size and the stunning view out across the sea, it really did tick so many boxes for us and we’re delighted to now be in the position to forge ahead with transforming our dream into a reality.

“Many of the things we’re known for through our time in Gourdon will be replicated in our new home in Aberdeen. We’ll continue to use the best produce from sea and field and we’re committed to 100% Scottish sourcing; an important part of our business that we will never lose sight of.

“The addition of the ice cream parlour adds another dimension to Hornblower’s and I’m sure will be just as popular as our signature dishes. We think a combination of the beach, fish and chips and ice cream sounds great and we can’t wait to let customers, both old and new, experience what we have to offer.”

Construction work on the site is set to begin later this year.

More info:

Hornblower’s in Gourdon, which specialises in locally-sourced seasonal food with an emphasis on seafood, was opened in 2011 by Alex and Ruth Grahame.

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New Appointment At Aberdeen Greenspace

Aberdeen City, Environment, Featured No Responses »

Jul 102015

Michelle Herd, chief executive, Aberdeen Greenspace 1

Aberdeen Greenspace chief executive Michelle Herd at the multi-use games facility at Eric Hendrie Park

With thanks to Ian McLaren, Innes Associates.

A north-east third sector organisation committed to regenerating and developing city centre green spaces for community use has made a senior appointment as it looks to increase funding streams following changes to government legislation.
Aberdeen Greenspace has appointed Michelle Herd to the role of chief executive, she was previously the organisation’s development manager.

Michelle joined the charity last summer and has worked in third sector organisations in the city for the past decade.

Her appointment coincides with changes to how the charity is funded. Until recently it received funding through the Landfill Communities Fund, a tax credit scheme that distributed money raised by the UK government’s landfill tax.

As of 31 March 2015, this taxation has been devolved to the Scottish Government, with monies raised being paid into the Scottish Landfill Communities Fund, administered by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency. Changes to the funding criteria mean that Aberdeen Greenspace is no longer able to obtain funding through the scheme.

The charity has been operating in Aberdeen for 18 years and provides grants to develop and improve urban greenspaces, enabling those living and working in the city to have easy access to such spaces.

Michelle said:

“Green spaces are an important part of the fabric of the city and vital recreational facilities for all its residents and visitors. We need to ensure that these spaces are suitably maintained and developed to allow as many people to access them as possible. To date, the Landfill Communities Fund has provided significant funds that has enabled Aberdeen Greenspace to do this, but support from local businesses is always welcome.

“I’ve taken the helm at an interesting crossroads in Aberdeen Greenspace’s development. The changes brought about by the devolution of the landfill tax have caused some uncertainty, and as a result we have had to adapt the way we operate.

“We are looking into various alternative funding streams, one of which includes developing team building days for local companies. This would form part of a cohesive corporate social responsibility package for them and one that would benefit Aberdeen’s greenspaces and the city residents and visitors.”

Aberdeen Greenspace has helped to deliver a number of projects across the city. This has included substantial improvements at Eric Hendrie Park in Mastrick, installing a new woodland path in Hazlehead Gardens, creating a new community garden in Tillydrone, restoring the East Tullos Burn in St Fitticks Park, Torry, and upgrading the community greenspace at Powis.

Supported by energy firm Nexen UK, the charity transformed Eric Hendrie Park with new landscaping and the addition of a new multi-use games area for locals to play football, basketball and hockey.

The charity is also a major contributor to the redevelopment of the upper deck at the St Nicholas Centre, providing a quarter of the £200,000 funding required for the project. It is also committed to assisting with the transformation of the Skene Street play park.

Aberdeen Greenspace was established in 1997 as a joint venture between Aberdeen City Council, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Forestry Commission. It works with local communities to improve the greenspace amenities in their area, including community gardens, outdoors sports facilities, children’s play areas, paths and parks.

The organisation provides funding to develop green spaces in and around Aberdeen with an aim to develop accessibility, increase biodiversity, improve the landscape and provide information and interpretation. Aberdeen Greenspace distributes funding on a quarterly basis and can provide up to 75% of a project’s cost. For more information, visit www.aberdeengreenspace.org.uk or telephone 01224 711129.

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