The third meeting with the community planners was held in Laurencekirk to discuss some more of the aspirations for the communities of Ward 19, nothing to do with Stracathro or Foresterhill, but Council code for the area from Dunnottar to the Northesk and including settlements from Catterline and Drumlithie down to St Cyrus, Marykirk and Edzell Woods.
The main subject of the meeting was that of Community Asset Transfer. This is a national move to return community facilities to their communities and of course to save the Council some money.
Perhaps the most interesting finding was that the vast majority of hall and leisure facilities are already run by communities rather than by the council.
In fact Laurencekirk is really the only settlement in the area with several council facilities.
The reason Laurencekirk finds itself in this situation appears to go back to the days when the Town Council was disbanded by Act of Parliament and the property transfered to Kincardine and Deeside District Council. The Council are in a position that these assets may now be sold to the communities from whom they acquired them at no cost.
Watch this space!
