Councillors have backed plans to reintroduce traffic into the centre of a north-east town for two years.
Members of the Buchan area committee agreed unanimously yesterday to allowing vehicle to once again use Marischal Street and Chapel Street.
The local authority has agreed to look at reintroducing vehicles to the area after a residents’ survey last year revealed more than half (55%) were in favour of the move.
Most of the town centre was closed to general traffic as part of a major regeneration project more than a decade ago.
Roads manager Alan Burns told the committee yesterday that due to the number of buses currently using Chapel Street there would not be space for parking.
However he said that two disabled bays could be installed.
“This area would become a restricted zone covered by no parking signs at either end rather than having yellow lines on granite sets,” he said.
“Given the noise issue from tyres on the stones it would be my recommendation that a 20mph limit be in place for the benefit of residents.”
Councillors were supportive of the plans but also asked for further investigations into rerouting the town center buses to allow for parking in the future.
Peterhead North and Rattray member, Alan Gardiner, said: “I am delighted to see this coming forward as it is something I have been campaigning for since the elections.
“Having traffic back in the town centre will go along way to helping with our ongoing regeneration strategy for the area.”
Under the plans, a series of granite bollards would be installed to separate the road from the pavement. Traffic would flow in just one direction and a 20mph limit would be put in place to minimise disruption to residents and businesses.
An application would be made to Transport Scotland to have the area designated as a restricted-parking zone, in an effort to curb congestion. A variety of new traffic orders would also have to be reviewed.
Month-long negotiations would be held between the council and the Road Haulage Association and other motoring groups, before the public was given the chance to have its say as part of a 21-day consultation.