Call for action over ‘unsafe’ Aberdeen pavements

An Aberdeen councillor has called for urgent action to address the “serious” state of the pavements on one of Aberdeen’s key routes.

Martin Greig, who represents Hazlehead, Queen’s Cross and Countesswells, said the condition of the footways on Anderson Drive pose a danger to the public.

The Liberal Democrat councillor has had reports of uneven paths and flooding – and says some parts of the pavement are even starting to give way.

Anderson Drive was formerly controlled by the Scottish Government body Transport Scotland as it used to be part of the A90 trunk road.

The route was “de-trunked” last year following completion of the AWPR, and control was handed over to Aberdeen City Council.

However, Mr Greig believes government officials did not carry out enough repairs prior to the handover – and says residents are the ones suffering as a result.

“I had many discussions and meetings with Scottish Government representatives to get Anderson Drive verges protected and pavements resurfaced,” he said.

“Drains block and the pavement slopes so that grit and sand wash into one drain and repeatedly block it.

© Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

“There are often large puddles, so big one covers the whole pavement and pedestrians have to walk onto the roadway with a 40mph speed limit and large volumes of traffic.

“There is often parking on the verge in this area. There are delivery vehicles which park on the grass – sometimes for long periods when they treat it as a car park. The ground is so wet and soft, there are deep tyre tracks. It is very frustrating.”

Mr Greig described it as “unfair” of ministers to expect the council to foot the bill given its depleted resources.

“It was unfair of the Scottish Government to hand over responsibility for maintaining Anderson Drive without also providing the necessary funding,” he added.

“The work is now an additional pressure on our stretched resources.

“There are various areas in Anderson Drive where the pavement has seriously deteriorated. It is no longer safe to walk in places. Work is now urgently needed.

“There are areas of subsidence and decay that are unsafe for walkers. In sub-zero temperatures these huge puddles will turn to ice causing huge risks. Even when there is heavy rain, the water should be able to drain away.

“The council has additional problems to deal with, without getting adequate resources for repair and maintenance.”

Aberdeen City Council transport spokeswoman Sandra Macdonald said: “Cllr Greig is right in the sense that Transport Scotland did not do a lot in the last few years before Anderson Drive was handed over to the council.

“However, they have provided funds for us to carry out works in the future. There were negotiations between them and council officers.

“The pavements will be added to the roads programme and work will be carried out over the next four years.

“If Cllr Greig has concerns over a particular area, he should contact council officers so they can investigate.”

A Transport Scotland spokesman added: “We are surprised by this accusation given Aberdeen City Council has received over £8 million for de-trunking works.

“As set out in one of its own reports, funding for ongoing maintenance is assessed using a standard mechanism. It is responsible for applying for roads maintenance grants, as part of the overall local government funding process.”