Aberdeen City Council has confirmed the piece of land at the centre of a £200,000 repair bill row is not owned by one of its councillors.
The local authority said it had seen records that confirm Councillor Willie Young, the council’s finance chief, was not the landowner.
The move came after council officers said Mr Young owned the area on Wellington Brae.
A major political row broke out and an internal investigation launched after it emerged the cash was set aside to fix a boundary wall near Mr Young’s home, without being scrutinised or approved by committee.
Mr Young insisted he had never said he owned the land, while accusing the council of “serious failings”.
An Aberdeen City Council spokesman said: “Further to earlier statements in relation to the repairs of the cycleway at Wellington Brae, we can confirm that the records we have seen in respect of land ownership show that the registered title holder of the land in question is not Cllr Willie Young.
“We are not in a position to confirm who the owner is due to data protection requirements.
“The fact that Cllr Young was contacted by council officers as landowner forms part of the ongoing review into the circumstances of the project. Until that review is concluded it would not be appropriate to comment further.”
Mr Young came under fierce criticism when title deeds emerged suggesting he was the owner of the site, which runs along a major national cycle path. E-mail correspondence seen between Mr Young and senior council officers indicate he was approached to give his permission to progress the repair works on the site between August and October last year – which he did verbally in September.
A freedom of information request also indicates the council approached the landowner about the works, while the opposition SNP group had legally scrutinised title deeds through a solicitor which appeared to indicate that Mr Young was the owner of the land.
Mr Young said: “My solicitor Keith Allan, Raeburn Christie Clark and Wallace, confirmed that I did not own the land at Wellington Brae.
“I have now been notified by the council that they too are satisfied I do not own title in respect of Wellington Brae.”
He added he was now considering taking legal action against the SNP and was unable to make any further comment.