A dismal day

The Council decided not to decide.

CPOs seem not be be in favour.  But our moves to have them ruled out failed. 


On a positive note, we have 15,000 people against CPOs of which over 10,000 are AB postcodes. 
We also have a lovely bunch of people of all ages and backgrounds willing to come out and even sit (unnecessarily) through some dull Council business before behaving as well as could be expected in the face of today's events.

The battle must continue.  I could not live with myself if I abandoned the families and landowners at Menie to the not so tender mercies of Trump.

So www.trippinuptrump.com for news of the campaign.  And www.38degrees.org.uk/donaldtrump for the next tranche of signatures.  My colleages need to understand where the public stands on this and that is clear - no CPOs for private profit.

The Motion from Cllr Martin Ford (seconded by me) was

"Aberdeenshire Council will not use compulsory purchase powers to force Aberdeenshire residents from their own homes on or adjacent to the Menie Estate"

The Amendment from Cllr Kitts-Hayes was

"As a general  principle, Aberdeenshire Council will only consider through due process compulsory purchase orders which are for the benefit of the general public interest.

Aberdeenshire Council appreciates the uncertainty and concerns which are being felt over the use of compulsory purchase powers but will  take no action on this particular notice of motion as it would be inappropriate to make a decision without a detailed report being available for full and proper consideration."

For Martin's motion: Cllrs, Sam Coull, Mark Cullen, Martin Ford, Paul Johnston, Jack Mair, Debra Storr (Local Councillor to Menie Residents)
No Vote: Cllrs Graeme Clark, Linda Clark, Isobel Davidson (Local to Menie Residents), Ian Tait
Not present: Cllrs Alan Buchan, Sydney Mair
Not voting (conflicted) Cllr Wendy Agnew
The remaining 55 voted for the Amendment.

The 55 are
cllr.w.howatson@aberdeenshire.gov.uk (Provost), cllr.m.humphrey@aberdeenshire.gov.uk (Deputy Provost and Tory Leader), cllr.h.al-kowarri@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.a.j.allan@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.a.m.allan@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.p.argyle@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.p.bellarby@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.a.bews@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.r.bruce@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.g.carr@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.p.chapman@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.k.clark@aberdeenshire.gov.uk,  cllr.r.cowling@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.j.cox@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.n.cullinane@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.j.dick@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.j.duncan@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.a.duncan@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.t.fleming@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.a.grant@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.i.gray@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.j.gifford@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.a.hendry@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.f.hood@aberdeenshire.gov.uk,  cllr.a.howie@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.m.ingleby@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.m.kitts-hayes@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, , cllr.s.lonchay@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.j.loveday@aberdeenshire.gov.uk,  cllr.r.mckail@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.f.mcrae@aberdeenshire.gov.uk,  cllr.p.melling@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.r.merson@aberdeenshire.gov.uk (Local Councillor to Menie Residents), cllr.i.mollison@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.c.nelson@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.a.norrie@aberdeenshire.gov.uk,
cllr.g.owen@aberdeenshire.gov.uk (Local Councillor to Menie Residents)
cllr.s.pratt@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.m.raeburn@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.a.ritchie@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.a.robertson@aberdeenshire.gov.uk (Council Leader and Leader of LibDems), cllr.a.ross@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.g.saluja@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.n.smith@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.s.smith@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.j.strathdee@aberdeenshire.gov.uk (Leader of SNP), cllr.s.stronach@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.r.stroud@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.b.stuart@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.m.sullivan@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.r.thomas@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.b.topping@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.r.watson@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.m.watt@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, cllr.j.webster@aberdeenshire.gov.uk.

Update Monday : Apologies to Cllr Gillian Owen. I had her incorrectly listed as Non Voting. And at her request I now set the record straight. She voted against Martin's motion and for the "No Action" amendment.