I’ve had a few calls from people planning to visit Scotland asking about the fuel situation. A two day strike shouldn’t throw us into such a tizz!

But perhaps it’s a good time to think about reducing car use and saving cash - www.liftshare.org can help match people up to share journeys - and the more people registered, the better the chance of finding a suitable lift buddy.

Formartine Area Committee nearly set a new record for its length today — 9.45 am to 4.30pm with 30 minutes for lunch.   29 planning applications - and for 3 we decided to visit the site, so we are not finished with them yet.

We had a good discussion on the Draft Structure Plan with a high degree of concensus including the need to align the development of employment and housing in parallel.  Nonetheless, we still approved building housing on two site allocated for employment - and unless not just “talk the talk” but “walk the walk”, we will continue to lose employment land and make it harder for small businesses to setup and expand: not everyone wants ot needs to be in industrial sites.

I did my first Freecycle today.  I advertised my old ladies road bike (basically good but in need of TLC) at lunchtime, got an email at teatime and have just dropped the bike off to its new owner.  She is delighted.  I’m happy my bike is going to be used rather than cluttering up my garage.  Try it for all those bits and bobs that lurk in your garages and attics.

I spent a lot of time making preparations fot the Trump PLI last night - there is a pile of work to be done, made all the more difficult by the fact that despite the fact that Aberdeenshire perfectly properly took the planning decision to refuse on 29th December, Aberdeenshire Council is not providing the customary officer and legal support to the councillors who will be presenting the ISC refusal case at the PLI.

Full Council on Thursday has an item that seeks to confirm this very dubious state of affairs. Wasn’t it MiniTrue in Orwell’s 1984 that was responsible for re-writing history? Here we do it twice!

I spent today at a planning seminar with about a dozen colleagues. Very interesting to get a perspective on some issues from outside the area and to discuss things with a group of fellow councillors I don’t often meet.

There was an amazing degree of concensus on the case study and lots of good ideas for the next local plan. And some things will make discussing the Draft Structure Plan next week very interesting.

A public recycling point has been installed at Arnage Primary School, Auchnagatt.  This recycling point will accept glass bottles & jars, food & drinks cans, paper & thin card, and plastic bottles.   Another step to zero waste!

Tony Capstick and Lloyd George

Set out in the snow this morning to Aberlour to compete in the first of a series of three kayak Marathon events on the Spey, the Ness and the Dee. Thanks to the gritters on the A90, A96 and A920 we got there just a little late and joined a group of other hardy souls.

The sun came out, the river was beautiful and very, very cold and we were awarded first prize in the double sea kayak category coming in fifth overall in the field. But it was getting out paddling in glorious surroundings and good company that was so rewarding.

I was talking to my father this morning about the horses he had been allocated in the Grand National sweepstake and, looking at the names of all the runners, I picked out Comply and Die. I handed my father £1 and said I’ll take a 10-1 bet with you on that. He agreed. I then said if Comply and Die won, then Trump would lose.

Comply and Die won … so I’m now £10 better off!

Getting real public interest in Structure Plans is hard … but this is the policy document that drives the Local Plans that in turn determine planning policy. So if you have ever thought “Why did they build that there?“, you should be interested.

It is a draft at this stage - so now is a good time to respond with what you think is good, what bad and what else should be done.

It’s been a bit difficult to find where the draft document is published but I’ve found this copy on the web. Sorry it’s taken so long.

The plan consist of a Vision, a Spatial Strategy which involves Ellon as part of a major new growth pole running from Aberdeen to Peterhead, and six Objectives.