Council endorses progress in Aberdeen’s priority localities

12 November 2020

Aberdeen City Councils Strategic Commissioning Committee today (Thursday 12 November) endorsed the third annual progress reports on the city’s three priority localities.

The reports on Torry, Woodside Tillydrone and Seaton, and also Middlefield, Cummings Park, Northfield, Heathryfold and Mastrick will now go forward to the Community Planning Partnership board on 3 December for final approval.

The three Locality Partnerships were established to oversee delivery of each Locality Plan. The plans were agreed in 2017 by each Locality Partnership, the Council and Community Planning Aberdeen to improve outcomes in the localities where people experience socioeconomic disadvantage.

Co Leader and Committee Convener, Councillor Jenny Laing, said: “I am delighted that we have endorsed the three reports, each of which highlights some really inspiring projects and outcomes, many achieved with the additional challenge of the restrictions placed on communities by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Working with our local communities and partnership organisations is key to achieving improved outcomes for people living within our regeneration areas and it is really great to see how the enthusiasm and imagination of all those involved is paying such rich dividends. My sincere congratulations go to all the communities, our partners and council staff teams for their efforts.”

The Torry report outlines key improvements such as community food growing, Tullos Community Garden and Growing Space, St Fittick’s Growing Space and Orchard, a food and fun initiative in partnership with AFC Community Trust and Sport Aberdeen during school summer holidays and other food initiatives and green projects across the locality.

Community Centre improvements, youth work in build skills among P6 to S6 pupils and well-known projects such as Streetsport, VictoiArt and the fundraising campaign for a dolphin-watching centre at Greyhope Bay are also highlighted in the report.

The report for Middlefield, Cummings Park, Northfield, Heathryfold and Mastrick highlights the Pathways programme which has assisted 80% of 107 clients into full-time work, Middlefield Project Nursery offering extended nursery hours, Food and Fun and other community food initiatives, the Geronimo project delivering fun and creative activities for children and their parent or guardian, Middlefield Youth Hub, The John Muir Trust Family Learning Award and a number of projects which have benefitted from participatory budgeting.

The Heathryfold Park Group, green spaces and housing improvements in the locality also feature in the report.

Among the highlights in the Woodside Tillydrone and Seaton report are the opening of the Tillydrone Community Campus and the recruitment of local volunteers to work there, food and fuel poverty initiatives, Pathways and other employability support interventions, the STAR and Tillydrone community flats, mental health and community support projects, community growing and family learning projects such as Geronimo. Printfield Community Project and Street Design in partnership with Aberdeen City Council and SUSTRANS.