A dirt track in a Moray town will be resurfaced before the first residents move into a new housing development.
Yesterday plans were approved for 120 new homes at Ferrylea in Forres.
But access to the Springfield Properties development caused concern among members of Moray Council’s planning committee.
Fears were raised new residents in the area will erode a dirt track on the edge of the new estate by taking short-cuts to Grantown Road instead of using new access routes.
Forres councillor George Alexander said: “It’s going to create a problem for us for the next few years because it will get more and more pitted.
“Some residents already rely on the road and have a right of access. They will rightly ask us to repair it. It could end up creating a problem for us in the long-run.”
While approving the plans, councillors added a condition that Barn Lane must be resurfaced up to the access to Ferrylea. Springfield expect to start selling the homes, which include 20 affordable houses, next year.
The firm’s managing director, Innes Smith, said: “The project will support jobs and businesses in the Forres community.
“The development will include a range of two, three and four-bedroom houses, which are highly energy efficient meaning smaller utility bills.
“These homes are part of a wider project to deliver new council homes in Buckie, Elgin and Forres. We welcome the requirement to improve Barn Lane to create a second access to the development.”