2009
Green light for Aberdeen by-pass
21/12/09 13:20 Filed in: Granite Chips
The Aberdeen by-pass has finally been given the green light, but the Scottish Government’s announcement does seem to be back-pedalling on the commitment to build the AWPR by the Transport Minister’s date of 2012.
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Read More...Get traffic moving says transport chief
18/12/09 15:09 Filed in: Granite Chips
Sir Moir Lockhead, chairman of the Aberdeen-based international transport group First, has called for action to get Aberdeen’s roads unblocked.
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Read More...Union Square city centre linkage
04/12/09 10:18 Filed in: Granite Chips
So the £275 million Union Square shopping centre has been open for a month and has already clocked up a million visitors, according to the developers.
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Read More...Danger on country roads
12/11/09 09:45 Filed in: Granite Chips
The fatal accident yesterday on the B977 underlines, yet again, the increasing pressure that is being put on totally unsuitable roads west of Aberdeen as we wait, and wait, and wait for the promised Aberdeen by-pass.
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Read More...Trump golf centre work starts
28/10/09 16:18 Filed in: Granite Chips
Work has started on Trump International Golf Links Scotland. After three years of sometimes painfully slow progress through our convoluted planning system, now the dream has come true for Donald Trump.
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Read More...Traffic gridlock forecast at Union Square
28/10/09 14:32 Filed in: Granite Chips
Stand by for traffic gridlock in the centre of Aberdeen as the Union Square development opens tomorrow. Thousands of shoppers are expected to descend on the new retail park over the coming days. Read More...
Aberdeen to get first car-share lane
27/10/09 18:44 Filed in: Granite Chips
Aberdeen could get its first car share lane under proposals being discussed by NESTRANS.
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Read More...Green body lobbies for energy tax hit
26/10/09 21:25 Filed in: Granite Chips
The Green Fiscal Commission, an independent policy body, has recommended that the Government should triple fuel tax and impose hefty home energy taxes.
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Read More...Time to adopt European time?
25/10/09 13:45 Filed in: Granite Chips
“Now the clocks have gone back, we’ll all suffer gloomy evenings to keep Scotland happy.” So gripes Victor Keegan in the Guardian.
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Read More...Charity events for Clan
15/10/09 10:32 Filed in: Events
Acumen have sent details of two charity events they are running for Clan 123 Appeal. Read More...
Licensing board councillor is right
20/08/09 09:34 Filed in: Granite Chips
There would be few who would disagree with Councillor Bill Cormie when he calls for a radical solution to the alcohol fuelled antisocial behaviour in the city centre.
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Read More...What's the truth on the buses?
20/08/09 09:15 Filed in: Granite Chips
Like most citizens, I suspect, I am totally confused about the situation with the First Bus strikes in Aberdeen. The messages are so obfuscated that I have no understanding of the arguments. Read More...
Realistic cycling goals
16/08/09 19:32 Filed in: Granite Chips
A tax on your view?
12/08/09 16:30 Filed in: Granite Chips
There were probably many, like me, who sat and chuckled as the panel members on ‘Have I Got News for You’ joked about government plans to tax people’s view from their homes. But, the warning bells are ringing that this is not such a far-fetched story.
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Read More...Road accident questions
12/08/09 09:10 Filed in: Granite Chips
Something seems to be going badly wrong with road safety in the North East of Scotland. While nationally in Scotland and the UK the numbers of deaths and serious injuries is at its lowest for 50 years, we seem to be seeing a spate of accidents in this area.
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Read More...£30 million harbour development
05/08/09 12:16 Filed in: Granite Chips
The news of a £30 million retain hotel, commercial and retail development beside Aberdeen harbour is to be welcomed. Read More...
The Spires posts positive results in recession
31/07/09 09:24 Filed in: Granite Chips
Aberdeen-based serviced suite operator, The Spires has brought some positive financial news into the recession hit accommodation sector by posting a strong performance for the 2008-09 financial year. Read More...
Call for an oil fund strikes a chord
26/07/09 17:31 Filed in: Granite Chips
The renewed call for an oil fund from the Finance Secretary is bound to strike a chord with many Scots.
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Read More...Steven Black youngest assessor
23/07/09 12:48 Filed in: Granite Chips
Steven Black, from Peterhead, has been appointed as Scotland’s youngest tenant assessor.
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Read More...Name the red kite chicks
02/07/09 14:54 Filed in: Granite Chips
The Aberdeen Red Kite Project are offering a chance for you to name the two red kite chicks that have become the stars of the Aberdeen CCTV. We have one female and one male chick. Read More...
Aberdeen features little in NPF
25/06/09 12:03 Filed in: Granite Chips
Aberdeen City and Shire features little in the Scottish Government’s new National Planning Framework 2, published today.
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Read More...MSP concerned about threat to rural home value
22/06/09 16:42 Filed in: Granite Chips
Nanette Milne MSP, Shadow Minister for the Environment, has demanded a meeting to urge the SNP Scottish Government to think again and review home Energy Performance Certificates.
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Read More...Scotland would be in deficit even with oil?
18/06/09 10:23 Filed in: Granite Chips
So, according to a UK Government report, Scotland’s economy would still be in deficit even with the oil and gas revenues from the North Sea.
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Read More...Speed limiters proposed in safety framework
16/06/09 15:18 Filed in: Granite Chips
The Transport Minister has launched a new ten-year road safety framework for Scotland, which sets what are claimed to be the ‘toughest’ targets in the UK for for reduction of injuries and fatalities. Read More...
When is local radio not local?
16/06/09 13:48 Filed in: Granite Chips
If you have tuned into Northsound 2, today (or Northsound 1 after 7 pm), you may have wondered what happened to the familiar voices and why the DJs are talking about Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow as much as they are about Aberdeen.
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Read More...New City Centre Heart Potential Home for Energy Futures Centre
09/06/09 15:14 Filed in: Granite Chips
AREG (Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group) today welcomed the vision for a new city centre heart as a potential location for its world-class, state-of-the-art Energy Futures Centre. Read More...
War of Worlds coup for social enterprise
08/06/09 17:01 Filed in: Granite Chips
The Artists Gallery – an Aberdeen business that provides training and work opportunities for people with a disability – is the only gallery in Scotland offering signed copies of the ‘War of the Worlds’ album cover artwork. Read More...
Chambers demand Forth Bridge rethink
07/06/09 12:42 Filed in: Granite Chips
According to The Sunday Herald, the Scottish Chambers of Commerce have called on the government to revert to plans for a wider replacement Forth Bridge with light rail potential and a motorway approach.
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Read More...New civic centre for the Granite City
05/06/09 12:26 Filed in: Granite Chips
The first outline designs for the creation of a new city centre for Aberdeen have been unveiled today. The plans reveal a six-acre civic space, at the level of Union Street and Union Terrace, built over the Denburn Valley and Union Terrace Gardens.
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Read More...Political turmoil
05/06/09 11:46 Filed in: Granite Chips
When we were assimilating the seriousness of the international money crisis at the end of last year we were warned that these were unprecedented times and that no-one really knew what the future held for us. Read More...
Expenses row grows
25/05/09 08:39 Filed in: Granite Chips
It is almost three weeks since we commented on the MPs expenses row. Since then, the on-going revelations have been quite shocking. Yet, here is evidence that, ten years ago, Westminster decision makers knew that the system needed changed.
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Read More...Google reported interested in NE base
21/05/09 10:11 Filed in: Granite Chips
The Press and Journal is running a story today that Google is interested in using part of the former Inverurie Paper Mill as a Scottish green-powered data centre. Read More...
Mystery over Cameron's 'rule Scotland'
16/05/09 11:48 Filed in: Granite Chips
All the headlines quote Conservative leader David Cameron as saying he would “rule Scotland with respect”.
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Read More...Let's embrace the new city centre plan
15/05/09 17:01 Filed in: Granite Chips
The proposal to create a new city centre focus in the centre of Aberdeen is gaining momentum.
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Read More...What happened to the political antennae
09/05/09 14:35 Filed in: Granite Chips
At a time when young couples are finding it difficult to afford a homes, when families are cutting back on non-essentials and those approaching retirement age are realising that their pensions are going to be worth a fraction of what they expected, some of our MPs show themselves to be out of tune with the times by awarding themselves frankly ridiculous expenses. Read More...
What was no 10 thinking about
06/05/09 16:41 Filed in: Granite Chips
iPod for everything but music!
03/05/09 12:36 Filed in: Granite Chips
I was given an iPod Touch for my birthday, three months ago. So far I have never used it for playing music.... here’s why. Read More...
UK faces disastrous North Sea decline
11/04/09 11:20 Filed in: Granite Chips
A top Aberdeen oil executive has sounded a warning in The Herald today that the North Sea oil and gas industry faces a disastrous decline if the government does not take action on the tax regime. Read More...
Helicopter tragedy memorial service
11/04/09 10:34 Filed in: Granite Chips
As the news breaks that the helicopter which crashed last week had suffered a catastrophic failure in its part of its main gearbox, details have been announced of the memorial service that is to be held next week. Read More...
Aberdeenshire provost's new wheels
10/04/09 17:58 Filed in: Granite Chips
Aberdeenshire Provost* Bill Howatson is to follow the Czech President in the choice of official limousine.
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Read More...Shock at helicopter crash
02/04/09 14:51 Filed in: Granite Chips
The helicopter crash in the North Sea this week has been a reminder that the economic miracle of North Sea oil, which has bolstered the UK economy for 40 years, comes at a price – on this occasion, a very human one. Read More...
50 mph limit is wrong tactic
28/03/09 14:45 Filed in: Granite Chips
Thos of us who use roads in the North East of Scotland (and that is the vast majority of us), tend to drive longer distances and greater miles. In future, you may find that many of these journeys are limited to 50 mph. Read More...
New name for special needs school
24/03/09 10:57 Filed in: Granite Chips
An Aberdeen school, which has been recognised for its sector-leading standards in special needs education, is to adopt a new name and new identity as it develops its services to meet a growing need.
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Read More...Happy 100th birthday motor club
17/03/09 12:36 Filed in: Granite Chips
Happy 100th birthday to Aberdeen and District Motor Club. They are celebrating this Saturday with a dinner dance in the Ardoe House Hotel.
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Read More...Children's illustrations exhibition
09/03/09 09:07 Filed in: Granite Chips
Banchory Gallery, a social enterprise that provides training and work opportunities for people with a disability, opens a new exhibition of children’s illustrations this Saturday (March 14). Read More...
What is the truth about paper mill sale?
25/02/09 09:56 Filed in: Granite Chips
We are in a claim and counter-claim situation over the Inverurie Paper Mill. Was there, or was there not an offer to buy the mill? Read More...
Don't attach too much authority to tweets
19/02/09 15:54 Filed in: Granite Chips
Within minutes of the helicopter accident in the North Sea last night the first reports of the incident were reverberating around the globe on Twitter, the internet short messaging phenomenon. Read More...
Job losses at Inverurie paper mill
17/02/09 12:18 Filed in: Granite Chips
The news of International Paper’s decision to close Inverurie paper mill may not be unexpected, but the actual announcement is still a heavy blow for the local economy with a loss of 371 jobs.
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Read More...What do do they learn at driving schools?
24/01/09 16:21 Filed in: Granite Chips
Driving along a single-track country road this morning. Coming the other way as clear as could be was a Ford Ka with a young driver at the wheel. I could see him - indeed I could hardly ignore him. He could have seen me, if he was interested in anything beyond the front of his bonnet! Read More...
plane daft
24/01/09 11:06 Filed in: Granite Chips
I find tonight’s story in the Evening Express hard to fathom. Apparently taxis from the airport can’t operate in the city and taxis from the city can’t operate at the airport. Read More...
Yet another local government reform?
14/01/09 09:36 Filed in: Granite Chips
The Herald today runs a story about a growing demand for the reform of local government. The suggestion is that the current 32 local councils in Scotland should be cut to just ten. Read More...
Flying the Saltire in Aberdeenshire
10/01/09 15:16 Filed in: Granite Chips
A mystified letter from Detroit in The Press and Journal this morning questions the extraordinary decision of Aberdeenshire Council not to fly the Saltire – Scotland’s national flag – from council buildings.
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Read More...Big Brother: is 2009 our 1984?
09/01/09 08:33 Filed in: Granite Chips
Watch out. From March, the government will have a record of your visit to this website.
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Read More...Spend, spend, spend
09/01/09 08:07 Filed in: Granite Chips
We now have the lowest interest rates in the UK. Good news for borrowers and spenders. Bad news for savers.
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Read More...RIP conventional bulbs
08/01/09 08:25 Filed in: Granite Chips
Battle rages over vital NE transport link
05/01/09 14:30 Filed in: Granite Chips
A cross-border battle is raging over the funding of the new Forth Bridge. But, is it worth fighting over this vital link in the transport network for North-east Scotland?
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