Councillor Ross Grant

Parents/Residents, many will know by now that the footpath between the Cruyff Court and Riverbank Primary School has been closed off for health and safety reasons. As every parent/resident will know (having dodged the flooded footpath), there was a design flaw that had only been picked up after completion of the school (and this is fairly normal) construction.

This was first raised in June this year, followed up during a walkabout that I arranged in August and council officers agreed then that it needed to be remedied.

My understanding is that a design to resolve the drainage issue is being developed and will be progressed but respecting that the path and now the adjacent grassy slope has turned in to a treacherous mud bath, I asked that the area should be closed off to keep everyone safe. Clearly this is not ideal and does mean a several minute diversion for pedestrians so please be patient and if you could building in an additional few minutes to accommodate the diversion (attached) it would be much appreciated.

Today is a historic milestone for the Tillydrone Community Development Trust after 16 years of tireless effort and quiet determination, they are able to now say that 'the Wallace Tower is OPEN'. I can't stress enough how pleased I am for the Trust to get to this moment. It took vision and a relentless and pragmatic effort to refine the vision in to a deliverable activation of the building.

The Tillydrone Community Development Trust was set up in 2010 with a mission to spearhead 'community led' regeneration and with that produce opportunities to generate local jobs with any profit generated from their enterprises reinvested back in to the work of the Trust and it's objectives. They have made great strides in achieving that ambition and they have done so with the utmost love, care and respect for the Wallace Tower (Benholms Lodge) which is looking absolutely resplendent.

Super well done to (among many others) Colin, Linda, Susan, Jane, Ramsay, Clive, David. Please do show your support, not just in the next couple of days but in the weeks, months and hopefully years ahead. Be proud and take a moment to soak up all of the plaudits that you richly deserve.

📢 Have you heard?! 📢 The Liberty Kitchen at The Wallace Tower opens tomorrow at 10am! We are so delighted to reopen this iconic building with them, and with all of you. Come on in!!! 🥪☕️🍰

Deepest solidarity with the AMIC Spital Mosque following these shocking vandal attacks on a place of community and worship! This is not who we are as Aberdonians.

Heart warming to see the community come out to help in cleaning up the mess left behind.

I’m praying that everyone is safe and accounted for within the building and have made enquiries about the cause of the fire and as soon as things are made safe will be looking for confirmation of a swift repair plan to minimise disruption to all residents.

But I want also to say that if anyone within the building is in need of any support at all, please do not hesitate to make contact.

Watch: Seven treated by paramedics after fire on 12th floor of Aberdeen flat tower block The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service were called to Aulton Court at around 8pm.

My good friends at Luxous are going all out to support the unprecedented need upon Cash for Kids Mission Christmas. They met with the Cash for Kids team to find out about how their/(your) support can have maximum benefit.

Even before revealing that the same Cash for Kids had received applications for help from the parents of, staggeringly, more than half of the pupils of the entire school, I’ve led calls for the City Council to go much further to help families whose household finances have been decimated by years of austerity, pandemics, cost of living, stagnating wage rises and rising bills. But there is something that some of you might be able to do so support the neighbours and strangers in your community at Christmas, support Luxous efforts to help Cash for Kids.

Businesses like Luxous are the epitome of the crucial role that they play in giving something back to their community when it’s needed most. So get behind their efforts to support Mission Christmas (see list below) and you’ll be offered a totally unique, locally produced token of appreciation in return.

Yesterday Allan visited Cash for Kids HQ. We were shocked to find a shortfall of gifts for the older ages, especially 12-18 . Allan wants to help and he needs your help too . Please take a few moments and consider a donation . https://cashforkids.org.uk/mission

With thanks to Shona Kidd for posting this photo.

I honestly despair. I really do. I warned the council that unacceptable delays to the work on Hayton Road combined with an inevitable last minute rush to get the work done on time would lead to work being done on the hoof and it seems like this has materialised. Drainage channels were supposed to be installed to the raised Zebra Crossings but that seemingly hasn’t happened at one of them.

I warned too that all drains on Hayton Road needed to be cleared as part of the work and was reassured, in writing, that this had been done. I know at least one drain that is located right under that water somewhere that should have drained a fair amount of this pooling. Just a shambles.

The community deserves better.

While the road has reopened, the damage has been done to local businesses. This is no way for ACC to go about its business and serious lessons must be learned from this and, yes, the businesses deserve to be compensated after the council failed to adhere to its own procedures, failed to communicate and failed to do anything to minimise disruption to businesses.

**Frustrated Tilly Butcher forced to shut up shop due to roadworks**

In response to a post by the Tilly Butcher, local councillor Ross Grant criticised the council's "slow and unsympathetic response.

In response to Mr Scott’s post local councillor Ross Grant also shared his confusion over why the roadworks have taken so long.

He commented: “Not much of the work on this project is normal. In 12 years of being a councillor, I haven’t seen a resurfacing job like this. They are usually pretty quick to be completed. Nothing about this one is normal.”

He said nothing had been done to help businesses such as “help with deliveries or customer parking, nothing to try and phase the work sensibly, nothing to try and promote that local businesses”.

Mr Grant went on to apologise for the council’s seemingly “slow and unsympathetic response” to the plight of the businesses.

He added: “I tried to get more information from the roads dept but was given very little.

“It’s now been picked up with the director about a range of things and a request about options for great businesses like yours to get compensation for the poor way in which this project has been run.

“Now we will urgently approach the director in the name of all of the local Hayton Road businesses seeking compensation, an explanation and a reassurance that the work will be completed when they have said it will – no later than the 10th Nov.

Frustrated Tilly Butcher forced to shut up shop due to roadworks In response to a post by the Tilly Butcher, local councillor Ross Grant criticised the council's "slow and unsympathetic response".

Local businesses are rightly furious.

This road resurfacing work, which should have been completely routine, has been handled far from normally.

These businesses have survived a global pandemic and an unprecedented cost of living crisis. How on Earth is it that routine roadworks by the City Council has been the most existential threat to their livelihood and to local jobs.

I’m sorry that they have had to endure such acute challenges with a seemingly totally uncommunicative and unhelpful city council over 3 weeks.

I have asked serious questions of serious officers and discussed these with most of the local businesses on Hayton Road. I am hopeful that my fellow local members, Councillors Van Sweeden and McLellan agree with me that the council must learn valuable lessons from this and that our local businesses deserve compensation for the catastrophic losses they’ve suffered.

*update - sold out*The Tilly Butcher needs to close next week. This roadworks shambles has actually taken it's toll. I've been struggling to get deliveries let alone customers. So from now, till they sell, get a 6 item pick and mix lucky bag for £10 instead of £25. There's steak and pies in some of the bags.

But! Of the 3 councillors - the people who are meant to communicate council decisions that affect them, them being the people and businesses. Only one has had the common courtesy and back bone to come meet with the business owners in Tilly, kudos to Ross Grant.

But the other 2, Alexander McLellan and Kairin van Sweeden whom in 13 years I've never seen in my end of the street, they obviously and categorically couldn't give a flying f**k about the businesses in Tilly and even more so the the city council.

They're too busy sat around a table trying to politically f**k each other over and expense of the businesses and the people of Aberdeen.

And taking into consideration the fact they, the other 2 councillors of Tilly, they have specialist interests about zero carbon emissions, but yet, you the the hero of Aberdeen now has to waste fuel and intentionally create more carbon driving all over this city just to find a way to the shops that are also experiencing this around the town let alone on Hayton Road because they can't be f**ked putting up diversion signs is beyond farcical and especially at £1.50+ per litre - as if times aren't hard enough as it is.

So come next election, f**k them. Your object of a councilor for Tilly, McLellan, has the cheek to pose for a photo saying the "works are going to plan" before deleting it. But you McLellan, you can't poke your heed through our doors to see if we're coping? You're in charge of all the finances related to this. I doubt very much in my mind you have ever experienced what hard times truly are.

I will make it my mission for you to feel them.

The local heros that live in this area, that have been keeping the Tilly Butcher afloat, have been informing me of the problems you and the council can't be f**ked to address and that I could fix with a screwdriver and a Screwfix account.

I've put more gas and electric out of my own pocket on people's fobs these past 2 years than you've burned at your surgeries that remedy nothing. I've filled more people's fridges out of my own pocket than you've had free meals. I've been to more funerals of locals than you've spoken too. I've taken more food to the local food banks than you've claimed in expenses. And I've never boasted about and I feel like s**t mentioning it now but you have the f**king audacity to pose for a photo saying the roadworks are going to plan. What plan is that? No one can tell us what is happening, not even the council. Not before and not during and now it's going to take longer to finish.

I think it's time you McLellan stepped down as the councilor of Tillydrone and I took your place. I've done more for Tillydrone and the people in 13 years than you will ever be able to lie about doing.

The council are closing libraries, swimming pools and other amenities left right and center to save money at your expense and inconvenience. Yet these objects refuse to take a pay cut…? I've taken a pay cut. I'm more f**ked off they've put hardtimes on my family than anything else. And that's why this post is here. I understand business but f**k with my family and it's no longer business.

If I get told to go to the local press about this horses**t once more I'll honestly puke blood. For the amount of money every business, one time or another, throws at the journals of Aberdeen, the papers should comment about any and all bulls**t road closures and advertise the businesses on the affected roads as being open for free because they need us just like the council needs us. Hypothetically, imagine just for a second, imagine if we all as one refused to pay our rent and council tax together. How quick would they start groveling? How quick would these fools realise that they rely on us and what really hard times are?

So in closing what have the council and duck got in common? They can both stick their bills up their arse.

Back soon.

Liam
Your Tilly Butcher. 😘

This is utterly callous and mindless behaviour. Kids will do what kids do during the summer holidays, but this sickening vandalism is reprehensible.

The team at Riverbank Nursery are working their socks off to have the nursery in good condition for our own little kids and getting ready for new little t***s joining them after the summer holidays.

If anyone (boys, girls, parents) has any information regarding this cruel vandalism, please get in touch. It would be the least that culprits can do to own up and come and repair the damage they’ve caused and apologise to our nursery teachers and apologise to our nursery children.

The poor inspection verdict of Riverbank Nursery could have largely been avoided if concerns raised by staff, parents and the headteacher been heeded sooner by the City Council. Why does it take until after a poor inspection for things to happen and issues to be resolved?

News that only now has a security issue related to a gap in fencing, first raised by nursery staff months ago, has it been repaired. Only now has the cleaning regime improved despite the headteacher raising this issue with the cleaning services repeatedly months ago. Only now has arrangements been made to give the nursery a lick of paint over summer despite the council knowing the poor state of the facilities. Only now have steps been taken to improve the napping space and the “de-stress” space.

Why did it take for an inspection for these basic improvements to be made. The local team work their socks off and are doing their very best within minimal standard facilities.

Unfortunately the Education Committee rejected my call (as a nursery parent as much as a Committee member) to produce a report that sets out what lessons must be learned to make sure these issues aren’t being repeated in any other settings in the city.

'We see how hard they work': Parents stand up for Riverbank Nursery staff after council 'blames them for weak inspection' Concerns were raised that the inspectorate report could have been better if issues that had been previously mentioned had been addressed.