The Communities Committee of Aberdeenshire Council met on Thursday 03 September 2026 to discuss a range of important local issues. Key decisions included the acknowledgement of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service's Service Delivery Review, which confirmed no direct impact on Aberdeenshire's fire stations or response capabilities, and the review of the draft Aberdeenshire Community Planning Partnership Local Outcome Improvement Plan Annual Report for 2025/26. The committee also monitored the Local Housing Strategy Annual Update for 2025/26, noting progress against performance indicators and action plans.

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service - Service Delivery Review

The committee received an update on the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service's (SFRS) Service Delivery Review (SDR). Group Commander Mr. Meldrum Davey explained that the SDR is a comprehensive review to ensure SFRS resources, workforce, and operational models align with current and future risks. Decisions agreed by the SFRS Board in June 2026 affect over 30 locations across Scotland and will be delivered over five years. Importantly for Aberdeenshire, none of the approved SDR changes directly impact fire stations, appliances, staffing arrangements, or emergency response provisions within the area. The purpose of the report was to provide transparency regarding changes elsewhere in Scotland and assure the committee that local service delivery remains unaffected.

Councillor Bailey raised concerns about the provision of fire services to tackle wildfires and the closure of long-term dormant stations. Mr. Meldrum Davey confirmed that the community risk index model used in the SDR considers various risks, and that dormant stations are those uncrewed for a number of years. He assured the committee that no such stations in Aberdeenshire would be backfilled as part of the review. Councillor Bailey also inquired about the service's capability to tackle wildfires, noting recent reports in the Grampian area. The committee considered a thematic report on resilience, which could potentially be combined with reports on water rescue and climate change.

Councillor Owen asked about the risk of the national review reducing service resilience or response capability in rural Aberdeenshire and when members would receive recommendations affecting local communities. Mr. Meldrum Davey highlighted that section 3.5 of the report indicated redeployment of staff from lower operational demand areas to safety-critical roles and the creation of new on-call roles, which he believed would strengthen, rather than detract from, operational response and preventative work in Aberdeenshire.

Councillor Mickel welcomed the idea of a thematic report on resilience, particularly concerning large-scale events and the movement of operational modules across Scotland.

The committee agreed the recommendation on page 79 of the report pack and thanked Mr. Meldrum Davey for his presentation.

Aberdeenshire Community Planning Partnership Draft Local Outcome Improvement Plan Annual Report 2025/26

The committee reviewed the draft Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP) Annual Report for 2025/26, which outlines progress in delivering the CPP's strategic priorities of reducing poverty and embedding place-based community planning. Michelle Mill and Amanda Rowe presented the report, highlighting the value of partnership working in supporting residents affected by poverty and inequality, improving financial inclusion and employability, strengthening the use of lived experience in service design, and advancing the development of partnership place plans.

Councillor Nickel raised concerns regarding an underspend in the tackling poverty budget linked to staff vacancies, questioning its impact on delivering interventions and whether staffing capacity was sufficient to address rising child poverty rates. Amanda Rowe explained that vacancies primarily related to fixed-term posts funded externally, and that confirmation of continued funding was received late. She confirmed that a service redesign review is underway to ensure the right roles are in the right places with clearer progression routes, aiming to reduce reliance on fixed-term posts. She stated that staff vacancies were not having a significant impact on service delivery.

Councillor Nickel also inquired about how Aberdeenshire-wide performance indicators translate to outcomes for specific places and communities, and what strategy is in place to reverse increasing unemployment among 16-24 year olds. Amanda Rowe noted that various partners, including Skills Development Scotland and the Community Learning and Development team, are involved in working with young people. She acknowledged that while the overall unemployment rate is low, efforts are being made to engage those furthest from employment. She also highlighted the importance of partnership place plans feeding into tangible decisions and outcomes, rather than being perceived as another layer of consultation.

Councillor Taylor highlighted the difficulties faced by rural communities, particularly concerning transport, fuel and heating costs, and childcare. Amanda Rowe acknowledged that Aberdeenshire families experience different challenges compared to urban settings, including higher transport and fuel costs, and limited access to affordable transport and childcare. She mentioned the Help Project for families needing medical treatment and the reopening of the Winter Challenge Fund and Childcare Challenge Fund in October, which aim to address these rural poverty premiums.

Councillor Everson followed up on the vacancies in the tackling poverty team, reiterating concerns about the increase in relative child poverty and questioning if more resources or staff were needed. Amanda Rowe explained that the structural review aims to ensure the right balance of posts and that while national figures show an increase in child poverty, local 25/26 figures are being analysed. She emphasised the focus on prevention and the success of interventions in preventing families from returning for crisis support.

Councillor Everson also asked about the local performance indicators and how they could be presented for comparison between areas within the annual report. The Chair, Councillor Stirling, suggested that this information is available at a local level through area committees and that expanding the annual report might not be relevant. She also raised the importance of ensuring all partners are delivering on the agenda. Councillor Stirling highlighted a statistic on page 109 showing a doubling of households achieving maximum client income over five years, attributing this to partnership working.

Michelle Mill will gather feedback from the committee to present to the Community Planning Partnership Board.

Local Housing Strategy Annual Update 2025/26

Mrs. Russell introduced the annual update on the Local Housing Strategy 2024-2029. The report indicated that overall, 26 indicators have been progressed, with two still in progress: the number of empty homes being brought back into use and the percentage of new tenancies for homeless applicants. Significant work continues on empty homes, including contacting owners and providing support. External funding has been secured for a resource to support a collaborative approach with Moray Council, and further funding for a part-time officer in Aberdeenshire.

Regarding new tenancies for homeless applicants, while the figure has slightly increased, there are pressures with size requirements for rehousing, particularly for one-bedroom accommodation. Work continues to optimise housing stock and reduce the homeless journey. Three indicators require further action, including understanding and minimising tenancies ending for negative reasons. The final two indicators relate to adaptation referrals and completions from RSL housing association partners.

Councillor Everson raised concerns that performance indicators do not relate to providing effective wraparound support for tenants with multiple and complex needs. He also noted that Priority 3 in Appendix 2, concerning anti-social behaviour, mentions developing a stronger understanding of community impact and unmet support needs, but provides no timeline for completion. Mrs. Russell stated that work on anti-social behaviour is expected to conclude over the next two to three years, and that the Housing First initiative, which is part of Priority 3, has performance measures captured in the report, including tenancy sustainment levels. Mr. McCloud added that the anti-social behaviour work is tied to a wider review of tenancy services, expected to conclude in 18 to 36 months.

Councillor Everson also asked for a briefing on the dementia strategy, to see if it extends to work with communities and local businesses. Mrs. Russell confirmed that the strategy is through Health and Social Care and can be circulated to members, potentially added to outstanding actions.

Councillor Owen asked about the biggest barrier to meeting housing need in Aberdeenshire, considering funding, workforce, land availability, or planning delays. Mr. McCloud responded that while Aberdeenshire is in a strong position, there are areas of higher need, particularly in Aberdeen housing market areas and rural pockets, where new supply is the simplest solution. He also inquired about additional interventions being considered to accelerate delivery.

Councillor Bailey asked about the number of privately owned empty houses bought from the open market and if more could be done to secure privately owned empty properties. Mrs. Russell confirmed that while only four were purchased this financial year, significantly more were reviewed. She explained the criteria for purchase, including strategic importance, location, size, type, construction standards, and financial viability. She also noted the challenges in finding properties that meet all criteria, but reassured members that with additional resource, more properties could potentially be acquired if they meet the criteria. Councillor Bailey also inquired about the adaptations working group's progress in gathering RSL adaptation information. Mrs. Russell stated that this is an ongoing challenge due to demand and capacity pressures, and that work with RSLs is crucial for a cross-tenure view.

The committee agreed to break for lunch.