23 November 2018

Milestone reached in depot strategy with opening ceremony

The ribbon has been cut today on a brand-new depot, marking an important milestone for Aberdeenshire Council.

The £8million facility in Macduff is the first new depot to open as part of the Council Depot Strategy, designed to improve the efficiency, welfare, sharing and location of key depots across Aberdeenshire.

The new premises will replace five facilities either owned or leased by the Council in Macduff, Banff and Boyndie and will see roads, waste, landscape and housing all co-located under one roof.

Under the depot strategy, the number of locations will be reduced from 55 to 37, with a better model in place of larger key locations with a supporting network of smaller services. The strategy will continue to explore new facilities, with a need highlighted in Mintlaw, Inverurie and Stonehaven. Meanwhile work has taken place at Aden Country Park, Fraserburgh and Laurencekirk and is ongoing at Alford and Banchory to name a few. 

Macduff depot facts: 

• The facility sits on an 8.2-acre site.
• Around 100 staff will be based in the depot.
• Key services using the depot will be Roads, Waste and Landscape, with a small Housing storage presence joining soon (other depots in the strategy will have a larger Housing presence).
• The top soil from the site-clearing process was used to restore the nearby Brandon Howe landfill site, saving the Council a considerable sum.
• Shared facilities include a wash bay with space for four vehicles, shared weigh bridge for winter roads and waste colleagues, undercover salt storage for winter operations, significant fuel storage (which allows for savings from buying in bulk), shared secure staff welfare facilities, meeting spaces and flexible working opportunities.
• Waste transfer facilities are not only modern but future-proofed and could allow for any future changes in collection requirements.

Speaking at the event, Provost of Aberdeenshire Cllr Bill Howatson said: “Back in 2015, then then Policy and Resources Committee signed off our Depot Strategy. It was written and agreed in order to support the effective, modern and efficient delivery of services. The strategy has within in it a number of key sites, supported by secondary sites more locally. And Macduff is the first of our new key sites to be open and operational.

“The co-location of services in this modern facility helps us demonstrate our commitment to in-house service provision. It also supports our Council Plan priority of having the right people in the right place doing the right thing at the right time. All of this is in order to better serve the community, not just in the Macduff area but right across Aberdeenshire.”

Local members, Council officers, partners and front-line staff joined the Provost for the ribbon-cutting earlier today. (Friday)