The Marr Area Committee met on Tuesday 16 June 2026 to discuss performance across various council services, approve the Landscape Services Works Programme for 2026/27, and allocate funding to local Community Councils. Key discussions included the year-end performance of Education and Children's Services, Business Services, and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, alongside the proposed works programme for Landscape Services and Bereavement Services.

Education and Children's Services Performance

Alan Ray presented the year-end performance monitoring report for Education and Children's Services (ECS) for the 2025/26 period. He highlighted that 70% of performance measures were meeting or exceeding targets. Key successes included attainment in literacy and numeracy being above the Aberdeenshire average, strong performance in foundation apprenticeships, and the highest rate of positive post-school destinations across all committee areas.

However, areas requiring further attention were identified, including the uptake of funded early learning and childcare for two-year-olds and a slight reduction in participation within Live Life Aberdeenshire (LLA) services compared to previous years. Mr. Ray provided an update on early years provision, noting that while all eligible families are offered their full entitlement of 1,140 hours, some choose not to take it up. He also explained that availability varies across Marr, particularly in the Afford and Huntly clusters, impacting access to nurture provision. There are currently nine children waiting for places, with specific challenges in the Inche area due to a lack of local capacity. Work is ongoing with the Care Inspectorate to increase registered settings.

Councillor Gwyneth Petrie raised concerns about the flexibility of early years provision and asked about support for local groups wishing to provide 1140 hours for two-year-olds. Councillor Jeff Goodall echoed concerns about the availability of ELC places in Huntly and Afford. Mr. Ray assured members that managers have flexibility in adjusting opening hours for LLA facilities based on demand and that work is underway to address ELC availability.

The committee agreed to instruct the Director of Education and Children's Services to continue presenting performance reports on a six-monthly basis.

Business Services Performance

Rob Simpson presented the Business Services' Area Committee Performance Indicator Report for the year-end progress from April 2025 to March 2026. He reported that out of 15 performance indicators, seven were on target (green), one was just off target (amber), and seven were data only measures.

Key successes included customer services maintaining call wait times within the five-minute target and a low call abandonment rate. Benefits processing was also within targets, despite an increase in workloads due to the migration to Universal Credit. Property conditions were reported as above the Scottish average, with 94% of operational buildings in satisfactory condition.

Councillor Anouk Kloppert inquired about the increase in crisis grant applications, suggesting a link to the heating oil crisis. Mr. Simpson confirmed that cost of living issues generally were driving the increase in crisis grant applications. Councillor Ann Ross raised concerns about the suitability of operational properties in Marr, which were below the Aberdeenshire and Scottish averages, and also questioned the response rate for emails to customer services. Mr. Simpson acknowledged the issues with email response times and stated that efforts were underway to centralise and improve the handling of all incoming communications. Councillor Robbie Withey added to the concerns about communication response times, highlighting the frustration experienced by both constituents and councillors.

The committee agreed to instruct the Director of Business Services to continue presenting performance reports on a six-monthly basis.

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Performance

The committee received a performance report from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) for the fourth quarter of 2025/26 (January to March 2026). The report detailed incident types, trends, and community safety activities within the Marr area.

Key statistics for the quarter included 78 total incidents, with 16 fires and 27 false alarms. There were no fire fatalities during this period, but two non-fire fatalities were recorded. The report also highlighted 25 Home Fire Safety Visits and 10 Fire Safety Audits conducted.

The report indicated that for Accidental Dwelling Fires, Deliberate Fires, Non-Domestic Fires, Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals (UFAS), and Road Traffic Collisions (RTCs), trends over the previous 16 quarters showed some fluctuations but no significant upward or downward spikes. Similarly, casualty trends for ADFs, non-fire incidents, and RTCs remained relatively stable.

The committee acknowledged and discussed the performance report and any local operational matters.

Landscape Services Works Programme 2026/27

Elsa, Ewan, and Sophie presented the Landscape Services Works Programme for 2026/27. The report sought approval for the allocation of the revenue budget for Landscape Services and Bereavement Services within the Marr area.

The programme includes a range of works such as headstone stabilisation in cemeteries, improvements to paths and play parks, and maintenance of green spaces. A significant budget of £147,300 is allocated for burials and caskets, and £17,200 is earmarked for road repairs at the Banchory Play Park Through Road. The council's Pollinator Action Plan, aiming for at least 10% of public green space to be managed for pollinators, was also mentioned, with ongoing work to introduce uncut grass areas and community initiatives.

Councillor Ann Ross raised concerns about the longevity of maintenance provided by community groups and the assessment of their capacity. Elsa explained that while partnerships are valuable, assessing long-term capacity can be challenging and often involves a trial-and-error approach. Councillor Brown inquired about the £7,000 allocation for the Ballater play park, which was confirmed to be for the repair and maintenance of existing equipment. Sophie confirmed that investigations into drainage issues at Torfinns would involve further works. Councillor Jeff Goodall praised the work in cemeteries and parks, particularly the wildflower areas and enhancements at Horton Park, and asked about tennis courts in Alford and Huntly, which are managed by LLA. Councillor Anouk Kloppert congratulated Landscape Services on a recent Gold Award for their digitalisation programme and asked if this would aid in managing budgets.

The committee approved the proposals for allocating the revenue budget for Landscape Services and Bereavement Services.

Marr Area Community Council Funding 2026/27

Kirsty Macleod presented the report on Marr Area Community Council Funding for 2026/27. The total budget for Aberdeenshire for this period is £72,300, with Marr's allocation being £12,836.

The funding is proposed to be allocated based on a fixed grant per Community Council, supplemented by an amount based on the number of electors. A networking event for Community Councils is planned for September 2026, with £1,500 top-sliced from the central budget for catering and travel. Refreshed training for Community Councillors is also available through the council's ALDO training site.

The report also noted that a review of how Community Councils spend their grants is underway, with a focus on sustainability, succession planning, and community capacity building. This information will inform future recommendations for support.

The committee noted the updates and agreed to the proposed allocations for Marr Community Council Grants for the period 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027.