The speed limit on town centre roads in Peterhead could be slashed ahead of moves to reopen the area to cars.
Aberdeenshire Council wants to cut the speed from 30mph on Peterhead’s Queen Street to 20mph as the pedestrianisation of two other roads comes to an end.
Chapel Street and Marischal Street were closed more than a decade ago in an effort to boost town centre trade, but the experiment saw pedestrian numbers fall away.
The local authority has since been working to reintroduce cars to the roads in a bid to draw people back – a scheme that was approved by local councillors in April.
Now, in a bid to increase safety, a 524ft stretch of Queen Street – from it’s junction at St Peter Street to Chapel Street – is earmarked for a speed a reduction.
Speeds on sections of Backgate and Back Street, which intersect the shopping district, would also be lowered under the plans.
In a report to Buchan area committee on Tuesday, Stephen Archer, the council’s head of infrastructure services, said there had been no objections to the proposal.
He said: “It is felt that the reduction of the existing speed limit at the approach on Queen Street and partly at the adjacent side streets will add to the safety of the public, in particular pedestrians.”
A 21-day public consultation will be launched if councillors back his plan.
Mr Archer said: “Following this committee meeting it is proposed to undertake a four week statutory consultation with interested parties such as the AA, Road Haulage Association and others. This would be followed by a 21 day public consultation with site notices erected at the affected location and giving anyone who wishes to object to the making of the order the opportunity to do so.”
The 20mph speed limit will apply to Chapel Street and Marischal Street when they re-open to cars, which is likely to be later this year.
Only one member of the public objected to the roads being re-opened during the last round of consultations.
The anonymous objector raised concerns about noise, damage to the streets’ cobbled surfaces and the lack of new parking bays to encourage people to shop locally.