Hopes that Aberdeen City Council might fund cycle path improvements on a key commuter route look likely to be dashed.
Campaigners have been lobbying for an upgrade on a route along the A944 Alford road between the Prime Four business park at Kingswells and the Five Mile Garage.
However, in a report to a meeting of the communities, housing and infrastructure committee on Tuesday, local authority officials have advised that developers could instead shoulder the cost.
The advice for councillors is to wait for further planning applications to come in, so conditions can be attached to provide improvements to the cycling lane.
The report, by senior engineer Mark Wilkie, said: “The intention is for developers to carry out the requisite improvements at their expense. Currently, these would appear to comprise the Ardene Vet site and Prime Four.
“Prime Four has made a bid for a further development allocation on the north side of the A944 as far west as the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.”
Aberdeen Cycle Forum wanted the path at the A944 widened to meet national standards and improve safety, and more than 700 people signed a petition calling for action.
Jyll Skinner, chairwoman for the organisation, said she was not surprised that officials had advised against the council paying for improvements itself.
She said: “I think it is unsurprising, considering how much we have already worked at getting improvements and how slow we have seen things happening across the city.
“But we are encouraged that it is at least something that will continue to be pursued, and we will be pursuing it ourselves.
“We will look forward to working with the council.”
The cycle forum said owners of the Prime Four park and businesses within had worked positively to encourage cycling.
Ross Thomson, Conservative councillor for Hazlehead, Ashley and Queen’s Cross, has just stepped down as the authority’s cycling champion. He said: “It does seem that it will now depend upon what development happens in the area.
“One thing that is encouraging is that some developers have been happy to invest in these corridors. As long as we get the improvements, that is the main thing.”