Roads chiefs have pledged to cut down dangerously overgrown vegetation on roundabouts across Aberdeen after concerns were raised by cycling groups.
Members of the Aberdeen Cycle Forum have been urging the city council to tackle dense greenery at sites across the city, claiming it is blocking views of oncoming traffic and putting safety at risk.
Now the local authority has agreed to limit the amount of foliage permitted at roundabouts throughout Aberdeen.
Councillors have backed the development of a policy which will place strict regulations on how high, thick and far from the centre plants are allowed to grow.
Hazlehead ward councillor Ross Thomson, who has been campaigning on the issue for some time, welcomed the breakthrough.
He said: “We’ve been trying to bring this forward as an issue for the city as a whole for a while now, after concerns were raised over roundabouts in the Queen’s Cross area in particular, such as the Queen’s Road and Anderson Drive one.
“They were really built up with a lot of vegetation that was really overgrown and hadn’t been maintained, it was awful and made it really hard to see what was coming from around the other side.
“Traffic can come flying down these roads, and if you have a tree or a bush in the way it can reduce the time for you to see them, and for them to see you, so it was a real safety issue.
“Officers saw these roundabouts and realised that they were indeed a problem, and since they have been trimmed it has made a world of difference.
“Thankfully we had them made safe in my own patch but it really highlighted that it is an issue in other parts of the city like along North Anderson Drive and King’s Gate.
“I’m really pleased that the council have taken this issue forward and we’ll now have this policy in place across the city, it’s good news for motorists, cyclists and road safety in general.”