TALES OF FLOODING PAST FOCUS COUNCIL MINDS
Community Council THERE was a lengthy agenda at the regular monthly meeting of the Community Council which followed the recent A.G.M. in the Village Hall with the two most interesting items being flooding and conservation.
Although the curtain wall at its western end is the only sign of it left, a row of houses and sheds once ran the length of the Hardgate, a former street at the east end of the village.
After all the buildings had been finally demolished, the last in the 1940s, the area was largely grassed over and, for a while at least, mowed by the local authority who went on to provide a concrete promenade and handrail.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, however, the area became a convenient parking lot for contractors' vehicles and a dumping ground for spoil turning the surface into little more than a muddy heap.
In 1993 the Community Council decided to roll up their annual special project grant and carry out an improvement scheme. Three years later Kincardine and Deeside District Council agreed to add 12,533 to the 1,815 already raised by the Community Council and on Saturday, 27 July 1996 the Hardgate Environmental Improvement Project was officially opened by the late former Grampian Regional Councillor, Mr Alastair Henry and a management agreement for its maintenance concluded between the District Council and Brotherton Estates, the owner of the ground.
However, the improvement scheme covered less than half of the Hardgate and in January 2005 Mr Stewart Fowlie, a nearby resident, drew the attention of the Community Council to the untidy condition of the remaining part and provided drawings to illustrate how this might be improved.
Those included the installation of wooden sleepers of irregular height, planting of sea grasses, laying large stones and grading the soil level all with the intention of stabilising the ground. Meetings on site quickly took place between officials of Aberdeenshire Council, then local Aberdeenshire Councillor, David Smith, and representatives of the Community Council but no solution was found.
Since then , though, concerns have concentrated on the effects of flooding with one property suffering inundation as a result of heavy rain, wind and high tides. Of course, ever since the demolition of the buildings, the Hardgate has proved a popular haunt for young people playing "chasies" from the waves crashing over the railings, but the feeling now is that the dangers of flooding are increasing.
To the west of the Hardgate rock armour was laid in 2002 largely to protect Scottish Water infrastructure and last year similar measures were taken to protect Aberdeenshire Council infrastructure at Beach Road. The section in between remains unprotected and when the sea hits the flat face of the promenade it immediately washes over on to Fore Street.
A fear is that the same fate may befall the Hardgate as that of the beach promenade at Montrose, although it is known that sand underlies the concrete at Montrose while that at Johnshaven is underpinned by rocks. In October 2008 Mr Fowlie submitted photographs to Aberdeenshire Council as evidence of the scale of flooding and at Wednesday's meeting the matter was again discussed.
The current position of Aberdeenshire Council is that the whole frontage to the east of the harbour is being constantly monitored with regard to erosion and flooding and that is where things stand at the moment. Local residents may wish to pursue the matter further, of course.
The other major issue presently proving vexatious to community councillors is that of planning and, in particular, how seriously planning officials take Johnshaven's status as a designated Conservation Area when considering planning applications for the village.
The possibility of Johnshaven's becoming a conservation area was debated by the Community Council over a number of years before a public meeting attended by 40 people in the Village Hall in September 1996 persuaded it to "go for it", although it was Kincardine and Deeside District Council who would have to make the final decision.
At the meeting Dr Robin Evets, Principal Inspector of Buildings for Historic Scotland, said that it was Historic Scotland's view that Johnshaven came into the "outstanding" category which meant that it would qualify for grant aid, while Mr George W. Chree, head of the District Council's planning services at the time added that the creation of a conservation area was a means of "enhancing the poor and protecting the good."
A year later most of Johnshaven was indeed designated a Conservation Area, "being of special architectural or historic interest" but it would be fair to say that since then disillusionment, rather than fulfilment has been the predominant emotion within the Community Council of the envisaged planning benefits to the village.
This feeling has again been highlighted by a sense that one or two fairly recent "new builds" are not really compatible with existing village architecture and some quite strong opinions were voiced at Wednesday's meeting over a perceived failure by planning officials both adequately to scrutinise planning applications and to apply principles of conservation.
However, the Community Council did not absolve itself from blame for allowing inappropriate applications to "slip through the net" and so in order to address those problems a public meting is to be held in the near future to ascertain the views of villagers on the question of "Johnshaven as a Conservation Area", a review is to be conducted on how the Community Council deals with planning applications and a sub-committee comprising Chris Greene, David Sutherland and Alec Wallace was formed.
Earlier, members had taken a number of other decisions. They agreed to pursue their concerns over the increasingly dangerous condition of the steps from Seaview Terrace to Main Street, even although the local authority continues to deny any responsibility for their maintenance, to send a representative to the next meeting of the Tullo Wind Farm community fund committee and to invite Mike Burleigh, project manager of the Mill of Benholm Project, to the next meeting of the Community Council on Wednesday, May 12.
However, no report of a Community Council meeting would be complete without an update on the long-running saga of the fingerpost sign for the harbour. Nine years since a design was first agreed, it now " has been ordered" and will be erected any time now.
Mearns Coastal Parish
There was a good turnout in St Cyrus Church on Sunday morning for the Rev Colin Dempster's first service as minister of Mearns Coastal Parish Church. Introduced by Session Clerk, Dr Marshall Halliday, the Rev Dempster then had some words for the children while later explaining to the congregation his intentions for future services. Organist was Robin Beattie.
This Sunday's services will be at the usual times of 10 a.m. in St Cyrus Church and 11.30 a.m. in Johnshaven Church.
Carpet Bowls
The carpet bowlers' Christmas Pairs finally took place on Tuesday night when, apart from one unavoidable absentee through illness, there was a full turnout of members.
In the semi-finals Clark Simpson and Bett Beedie defeated Mary Brebner and Gordon McCombie by 13 shots to 3 while Fiona Dundas and Jack Gillanders had a much tougher time in eliminating Jean Stephen and Roy Mowatt 9-7. In the final it was Clark and Bett who took home the goblets by 9 shots to 2.
At the end of the competition a fine spread was enjoyed by all, a touch of Easter being added to the proceedings, thanks to Jack Gillanders' gift of chocolate Easter eggs for the winners.
Johnshaven Artists and Makers
In December last year Johnshaven Artists and Makers exhibited their works at a very successful exhibition in the Lifeboat House. They are repeating this initiative at the same venue on Saturday and Sunday, May 1 and 2.
The event will feature Alison Stewart and Ishbel Gray (paintings), Janette Anderson and Ranjit Barry (jewellery), Mary Berget (textiles), and Hilary Firth (ceramics) and there will also be special guest artists and makers.
The exhibition will be open on the Saturday from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. and further information on JAM is available at www.johnshaven.com/festivals and events/jam
Bowling Club
After all the upheaval of the last five months caused by the floods of November, Bowling Club members can now look forward to the opening of the bowling green on Sunday, May 2 at 2 p.m. New members will be made most welcome.
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Weather for Stonehaven
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 4 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: West
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