Facilities monitor expanded to more than 170 settlements

The process of monitoring the changes in the provision of services in rural areas of Aberdeenshire has been expanded to cover more than 170 settlements.

Aberdeenshire Council’s facilities monitor identifies the services which are available to those living in rural communities – be that shops, post offices, banks or emergency and health provision.

It’s now been extended to cover 179 settlements and their facilities are recorded and displayed in interactive, map-based reports, with the latest data being gathered last summer.

The facilities recorded include shops, post offices, banks, education facilities, public services, halls, churches and garages. 

Cllr Alan Turner, chair of the council’s Infrastructure Services Committee, said: “The expanded and updated facilities monitor offers residents, communities, the council and other organisations a resource to better understand and evidence what is happening in settlements across Aberdeenshire. This new and expanded resource will enable both the council and local communities across Aberdeenshire to access key data for informing and implementing the 'living well locally' agenda.”

ISC vice-chair Cllr Isobel Davidson added: “The new facilities monitor format is map-based and visual, it is a new way of presenting data that is engaging and user-friendly. The facilities monitor will a be a great tool for communities across Aberdeenshire to use when thinking about preparing Local Place Plans, Community Action Plans and other placed based projects. The dataset will also be updated every two years providing a reliable resource to support collaboration and the delivery of living local principles across the region.”

Communities can access the Facilities Monitor at https://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/statistics/services-and-facilities/