The Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee met on Tuesday, 24 March 2026, to discuss a range of important local issues. Key decisions included the refusal of planning permission for a dog park near Laurencekirk and the allocation of remaining Coastal Communities Funds to the Stonehaven Promenade project. The committee also reviewed the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service's performance and considered the draft Aberdeenshire Development Plan Scheme 2026.

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Performance Report

The committee received and discussed the performance report for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) in the Kincardine and Mearns area for the third quarter of 2025/26, covering October to December 2025. The report detailed various incident types, including accidental dwelling fires, deliberate fires, non-domestic fires, and unwanted fire alarm signals (UFAS).

During this period, there were 67 total incidents, with 20 fires, 23 non-fire incidents, and 19 false alarms. Notably, there were no fire fatalities, but one non-fire fatality was recorded. The report highlighted a slight increase in accidental dwelling fires compared to the same quarter the previous year, with cooking appliances and heating equipment being the primary sources of ignition. Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals (UFAS) saw an increase from 4 to 8 compared to the previous year, with a rise in calls to residential homes. Road traffic collisions (RTCs) decreased from 15 to 7 compared to the previous year, with a reduction in car-related incidents. Home Fire Safety Visits (HFSVs) also saw a reduction, attributed to stations working with a new app. The committee acknowledged and discussed these performance metrics and any local operational matters arising from the report.

Planning Application: Land at Kilnhill, Laurencekirk

The committee considered a retrospective application for full planning permission for the erection of deer fencing and gates, and a change of use of woodland to a dog park at Land at Kilnhill, Laurencekirk, AB30 1EL. The application was recommended for refusal by the planning service.

The proposal had generated significant public interest, with 22 representations received: 14 in support and 8 objections. Supporters highlighted the need for such a facility for dog owners and its potential contribution to the local economy. Objectors raised concerns about adverse impacts on residential amenity, road safety, habitat destruction, increased littering, and dog fouling.

Environment and Infrastructure Services (Environmental Health) maintained an objection, stating that the close proximity of neighbouring homes and low background noise levels would likely result in intrusive and perceptible noise impacts that could not be reliably mitigated. They concluded that a Noise Impact Assessment would not adequately account for site-specific variables, leaving an unacceptable level of uncertainty. Roads Development, however, raised no road safety concerns regarding the proposed parking and turning space.

The planning report concluded that while national and local policies support small-scale rural businesses in principle, this support is conditional on protecting the character of the area and safeguarding residential amenity. The proximity of the proposed dog park to neighbouring homes and the inability to reliably assess or mitigate noise impacts were deemed unacceptable. Therefore, the proposal was found to conflict with Policy 14 (Design, Quality and Place) and Policy 23 (Health and Wellbeing) of National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), as well as Policies P1 (Layout, Siting and Design) and P4 (Hazardous Developments) of the Aberdeenshire Local Development Plan 2023. The committee refused full planning permission for the development.

Draft Aberdeenshire Development Plan Scheme 2026

The committee considered and provided comments on the draft Aberdeenshire Development Plan Scheme 2026. This document outlines the anticipated timetable for the production of the Aberdeenshire Local Development Plan 2029 and details how the public can get involved in the process.

The Development Plan Scheme is a statutory requirement, setting out the council's programme for preparing and reviewing its Local Development Plan. The draft scheme details the proposed timetable for key stages, including the publication of an evidence report, submission to Scottish Ministers, and the eventual adoption of the plan in 2029. It also includes a Participation Statement, outlining how consultation and engagement with stakeholders will take place. The council has been consulting on the Participation Statement, with feedback to be considered before the finalised scheme is presented to the Infrastructure Services Committee. The scheme aims to support the council's priorities for a sustainable economy, connected communities, and living well locally. An Integrated Impact Assessment (IIA) was conducted, identifying positive impacts for children's rights and wellbeing, and area deprivation, while noting potential negative impacts for younger age groups and those with disabilities, which are to be mitigated through plain language documents and varied engagement methods.

Coastal Communities Fund 2024/25 – Kincardine & Mearns Area Committee Allocation

The committee was asked to ratify the disbursement of the remaining £3,719.42 from the Coastal Communities Fund for 2024/25. This underspend arose because some community groups submitted final claims that were under budget.

Given the limited time to reallocate these funds and the absence of new applications, the Area Manager, in consultation with the Area Chair and Vice-Chair, decided to allocate the remaining funds to the Stonehaven Promenade project. This will further advance the project and ensure it is ready for tendering once full funding is secured. Previously, funds from the Coastal Communities Fund in 2023/24 were used for the design stage and site investigations for the Stonehaven Promenade. Awarding the additional funds now will allow the project to proceed to the tendering process and other statutory procedures without delay, enabling works to commence before the end of the busy summer holiday season and the onset of coastal storms. The report also provided an overview of other projects that received Coastal Communities funding in the previous year. The committee noted the agreement to allocate the remaining funds to the Stonehaven Promenade project.