STONEHAVEN COUNCILLOR WELCOMES BERVIE BRAES COMMITMENT FROM SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT

Stonehaven & Lower Deeside SNP councillor Graeme Clark has welcomed the announcement from Finance Secretary John Swinney that the Scottish Government will contribute £2million towards stabilisation works at the Bervie Braes, where over 60 properties are at risk from landslides.

Commenting, Councillor Clark said:

"I very much welcome the speedy response from John Swinney on this matter. I was delighted that Mr Swinney took time out of his busy schedule to visit the Bervie Braes personally to see the situation at first hand. He promised a swift response and now, less than three weeks later, he has been true to his word.

"This situation at the Bervie Braes has been ongoing for over 15 years and I am pleased that it is the SNP Government which has taken action on behalf of my constituents. The Transport Scotland engineers who assessed the braes have a wealth of experience in such matters and have carried out such works before, notably on the A9 at Dunkeld and also the Rest-and-Be-Thankful road."

Announcing the commitment, Finance Secretary John Swinney said:

"On a recent visit to Bervie Braes, I was struck by the scale of the problems that residents have experienced and I very much sympathise with the difficulties they have faced.

"I asked Transport Scotland to look at what options were available to address the situation and am now acting on their advice, putting in place the funding that will allow this vital stabilisation work to go ahead.

"I'm pleased to be able to provide reassurance that these works will bring about the much-needed long-term solution to the problems at Bervie Braes, protecting local residents and homeowners from further landslips."