The Garioch Area Committee met on Tuesday 22 September 2026 to discuss a revised festive lights policy, the Strategic Housing Investment Plan, and the Garioch Area Committee Budget. The committee provided comments on the proposed festive lights policy, which aims to give communities more flexibility in placing lights but shifts more of the cost burden to them. They also discussed the draft Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2027-2032, which outlines priorities for affordable housing across Aberdeenshire, and received an update on the Garioch Area Committee Budget, noting that a significant portion of the allocated funds had been spent on various community projects.

Festive Lights Policy Review

The committee discussed proposals for a revised Festive Lights Policy, which aims to provide communities with greater flexibility in deciding where festive lights can be installed, removing previous location restrictions. The new policy would place more responsibility on community groups for the costs associated with installations, including infrastructure upgrades and electricity usage beyond a set council allocation.

During the discussion, councillors raised several points:

• Cost of Infrastructure: There was concern about the cost of upgrading or replacing lighting columns to support festive lights, with a strong sentiment that the council should bear the cost of maintaining existing infrastructure.
• Electricity Costs: The proposal for communities to pay for electricity costs exceeding the council's allocation was met with opposition, particularly the idea of paying five years in advance. Concerns were raised about the fairness of a population-based allocation formula and the administrative burden on volunteer groups.
• Transition Period: The need for a reasonable transition period for communities to adapt to the new cost-sharing arrangements was highlighted.
• Residential Areas: The question of whether restrictions should be placed on installing festive lights in residential areas was raised to protect residents from potential light intrusion.
• Administrative Burden: Some councillors felt the proposed changes could create an administrative burden for volunteer groups.
• Council's Role: A recurring theme was the expectation that the council should continue to fund the electricity costs for Christmas lights, viewing it as a contribution to community spirit.
• Column Material: The choice between steel and aluminium columns, and the long-term cost implications, were discussed.
• Energy Efficiency: The role of LED lights and their energy efficiency was noted, with a suggestion that this should be factored into cost calculations.

The committee agreed to forward a series of comments to the Infrastructure Services Committee, including the need for clearer budget amounts relating to energy units, a re-evaluation of the balance of costs between the council and communities, concerns about the five-year advance electricity payment, ensuring future councils are not burdened by column material choices, consideration of restrictions in residential areas, and a questioning of whether all communities should be approached from a blank page regarding light placement. They also reiterated that the council should continue to pay for electricity costs and expressed reservations about the pro-rata funding allocation.

Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2027-2032

The committee received a presentation on the draft Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) for 2027-2032, which outlines affordable housing investment priorities across Aberdeenshire. The plan anticipates the delivery of approximately 2,278 new affordable homes across Aberdeenshire, with 546 proposed for the Garioch area. The majority of these are planned for social rent, with a portion allocated for mid-market rent and low-cost shared equity. A significant percentage are intended to be suitable for households with particular needs, including wheelchair accessibility.

Key points raised during the discussion included:

• Delivery Timelines: Concerns were expressed about the timing of the SHIP submission to the Scottish Government, which occurs before it is presented to the Communities Committee, potentially limiting the impact of the latter's feedback.
• Realistic Projections: Questions were raised about whether the projected number of units was aspirational rather than realistic, based on historical delivery rates.
• Borrowing Costs: The inclusion of borrowing costs in financial modelling was queried, given rising interest rates.
• Wheelchair Accessible Properties: The feasibility of one-bedroom properties being fully wheelchair accessible was discussed, along with the potential cost differences between various adaptation methods.
• Aberdeen City vs. Aberdeenshire: Clarification was sought on the inclusion of data for Aberdeen City in the report, and the rationale behind this was explained due to the linked housing market.
• Resales in Completions: The inclusion of resales in completion figures was questioned, with concerns about potential double-counting.
• Create Homes: The lack of allocation for Create Homes in the SHIP was noted, and the challenging environment for mid-market rent delivery was discussed.
• Resource Planning Assumption: The meaning of the Resource Planning Assumption figures from the Scottish Government was explained as an indication of potential grant funding.
• Empty Homes: The significant drop in empty homes brought back into use was highlighted, and the reasons for this were explored.
• Commuted Payments: The use and management of commuted payments from developers were discussed, with clarification sought on their allocation and any time limits for spending.
• Timing of Process: A concern was raised about the process of submitting the SHIP to the Scottish Government before it is fully considered by the Communities Committee, with a suggestion to ask for an extension.

The committee agreed to forward their comments to the Communities Committee, including points on the low completion levels in Inverurie, the lack of opportunities for Create Homes, the need for average costs for adaptations, the inclusion of resales in completion figures, clarification on references to Aberdeen City, the makeup of the Create Homes Board, and an explanation for Table 10 regarding projects being considered for commuted payments. They also expressed concerns about the timing of the process in relation to Scottish Government submissions and requested an extension.

Garioch Area Committee Budget Update

Tim Stephen, Area Manager, provided an update on the Garioch Area Committee Budget for 2026-27. He reported that over £10,000 had been allocated to eight projects, covering a diverse range of initiatives from youth skills programs to community association support. There was just under £5,000 currently unallocated. No funds had been drawn down for the development of place plans, and any remaining funds by the end of the calendar year would be added to the general fund.

The committee noted the update, with Councillor Ewenson commenting that the new process for allocating grants seemed to be working well, given the spread of projects and areas that had received funding.

The public session of the meeting concluded with the committee moving to consider exempt or confidential business.