Aberdeenshire Council has admitted there has been ‘extensive opposition’ to new road infrastructure in the region.
Since the award of £310,000 Spaces for People grant, measures have been implemented in Banchory, Ellon, Fraserburgh, Inverurie, Peterhead, Turriff, and Stonehaven.
The measures were introduced to create the additional space required in town centres to allow people to adhere to the social distancing guidelines required to suppress the
Covid-19 virus.
Now, a new council report acknowledges the backlash to the measures.
Papers to go before Aberdeenshire Council’s Infrastructure Services Committee (ISC) this week state: “The response to these measures has been mixed.
“While it is clear than many accept that there is a public health benefit to the measures, there has been extensive opposition to the proposals and in particular to the loss of on street parking as this was the only way to provide the additional space required.”
Last week, some Spaces for People measures were removed or altered in Banchory and Turriff.
The changes came after meetings between local retailers and council officers.
In response to the changes in Banchory, Peter Argyle, chairman of the council’s Infrastructure Services Committee, told the P&J that the officers wanted to avoid ‘flare-ups’ as seen in response to Aberdeen’s Spaces for People changes.
He said: “It is always worth remembering that the primary purpose Spaces for People is public health and keeping people safe.
‘”The renewed restrictions In Aberdeen make it abundantly clear the virus has not gone away.
“The council is open to suggestions for improvement but avoiding the sort of flare-up we have seen in the city is vital.”
The ISC committee will meet on Wednesday to discuss the Spaces for People measures, but also a whole raft of updates to transportation in Aberdeenshire.
Papers add: “Monitoring of the measures had been carried out from when they were introduced. It was important to gather information as the easing of lockdown
restrictions progressed and key points in this process were moving into Phase 3
of the Route Map for Recovery as well as the return to schools in August.
“Due to this, no major alternations or withdrawal of measures was considered
appropriate until monitoring of these events could take place, however some
small-scale amendments were made as a result of feedback and ongoing
monitoring.”
