Councillors have decided to maintain the status quo of a partially-open coastal road that could deliver an economic boost of £600,000 to an Aberdeenshire town if it was available all year.
But the current opening period of the Bervie Braes road near Stonehaven could be extended beyond April and October if a closure gate is installed.
The road was closed in 2009 after a landslide and reopened in 2013 after £3.3million stabilisation works on the upper slopes were completed. Aberdeenshire Council estimates a further £3.5million of work is needed before the road could fully reopen but has no provision within existing budgets.
A report for the authority’s policy and resources committee said Stonehaven could gain between £30,000 and £600,000 each year if the road was fully reopened.
Stonehaven Town Partnership previously commissioned an independent study which put the potential economic gain for the town and surrounding areas at £9.3million annually.
Yesterday, the group’s chairman Douglas Samways made the case for keeping the road open when he addressed the committee.
He said: “The Stonehaven Town Partnership recognise that there are safety concerns however what has happened, I would argue, is an overreaction.
“The orange and white barriers running across an otherwise beautiful landscape does not look like a very nice welcome to Stonehaven.
“I think the best economic case has been significantly undervalued and reopening the road would generate not thousands but millions of pounds for the economy.”
Philip McKay, head of roads and landscape services, said officers would continue to monitor the slope for the next three to five years and that work was ongoing to reduce the visual impact of the safety barriers.
He said: “I do feel that the barriers are required.
“The small barriers on the Stonehaven side towards the hillside will be removed in due course when the cycleway is completed.
“There will only be barriers on the upper slopes.”
Michelle Ward, vice-chairwoman of Stonehaven Business Associaton, welcomed the possibility of extending the opening of the road. She said: “We still need to find a solution to keep the road open all year round.
“Economic impact reports from both Aberdeenshire Council and the Stonehaven Town Partnership both agree that there is an economic benefit to the town in keeping the road open all year round.
“Although the financial impact is lesser in the winter months it is in the winter months where the local business need the extra trade and every extra visitor counts.”