Controversial cobblestone streets in Aberdeenshire’s biggest town are poised to get another makeover.
Council chiefs are spending nearly £40,000 to restore granite setts in Peterhead’s central shopping precinct.
It follows a similar operation throughout the pedestrian zone during 2012.
Aberdeenshire Council agreed to attend to the cobbles after residents complained they had become too difficult to walk on.
The stones were laid as part of a £1.6million regeneration of the town centre area more than a decade ago.
Since then, there have been repeated calls to have the cobbles removed and the streets repaved.
The move was considered by the town’s business forum but was deemed too expensive and ruled out.
Now Westhill-based Chap Civil Engineering has been awarded the £37,000 contract for re-grouting 5,500sqft of setts in the Marischal Street area.
The work will plug the gaps between the cobbles and make them easier to walk on.
Last night, council roads manager for Buchan, Alan Burns, said the setts had suffered from erosion, caused by traffic over the years.
“Most of the street has already been re-grouted and this tender is for the final section of the road, which we hope to complete in the next few months,” he said.
Mr Burns added that there were plans to carry out similar work in Chapel Street later this year.
Fresh calls were made recently to re-open the town centre zone to traffic.
Many businesses have blamed the pedestrianised zone for a downturn in trade.
Last month, businessman Donald Begg blamed the closure of his family’s shoe shop, Beggs Shoes and Bags, on several factors, including a lack of on-street park- ing.
An action plan for the future of the town centre, based on survey of residents, is expected to be unveiled by Aberdeenshire Council in the coming weeks.