Residents whose homes were cut off following a major landslide two-and-a-half years ago were last night urged to make a stand against proposals to shut down their street for good.
Aberdeenshire Council wants to permanently ban vehicles from part of Mackenzie Crescent in Peterhead.
The area was left unstable following a nearby landslip at the end of 2012 and it has been fenced off ever since.
The local authority, which last year voted against fixing the slope and having the road re-opened, has now tabled plans for a prohibition of driving order, which will see the site closed off to traffic using bollards.
Residents have until the middle of next month to put their objections in writing to council officers.
If enough complaints are received, the matter will be brought back to members of the Buchan area committee.
Crucially, a six-month time-bar period which protects the order – as it stands – has now expired, meaning it can be revised if brought back before local councillors.
Peterhead councillor Stephen Smith, who believes the council should work with businesses and landowners to fix the slopes, last night urged locals to make their views known.
“It’s important that residents submit their objection as part of the formal process,” he said. “This keeps the issue alive and increases the likelihood of Aberdeenshire Council taking some action on the problems with the slope.”
People living in Mackenzie Crescent said they would take legal action against the council if it goes ahead with the road closure.
The landslip, at the town’s Lido, happened when excavation work was being carried out on a new sea cadets unit.
The council investigated various options for the cliff-top route and originally called for restoration work on the slope which would allow the street to reopen, at a cost of £200,000.
However, when the bill rose to more than £600,000, the scheme was rejected. Councillors instead voted to pay about £20,000 to seal off the street permanently.