Funding Boost for Cruden Bay Landmark Ladies Bridge

Peterhead South & Cruden SNP councillors Stephen Smith and Stuart Pratt have welcomed a funding boost for local landmark and essential link the Ladies Bridge in Cruden Bay.

A meeting of Aberdeenshire Council’s Policy & Resources Committee today (Thursday) agreed to commit £55,000 from monies set aside for the Coastal Paths network along with a further £12,000 from the council’s budget underspend.

Commenting, Cllr Stephen Smith said:

“This is a substantial boost to the campaign to get Ladies Bridge repaired and refurbished and fit for purpose once again.

“While the bridge is owned by the community, responsibility for the upkeep and maintenance of the structure legally rests with the council and will continue to do so until 2014, at which point it reverts to being the community’s responsibility.

“The bridge has been forced to close several times recently due to its condition because the council has simply not been keeping to its side of the agreement and carrying out its responsibilities.

“I am determined that the council must honour its responsibilities and under no circumstances must the community be handed back a defective bridge in 2014.  This agreement today is an important step along that road but there is still further to go.”

Cllr Stuart Pratt added:

“Ladies Bridge is clearly a very worthy and necessary recipient of this funding.  Without the bridge, tourism would suffer as there would be no easy access to the famous beach which attracts scores of tourists to the village.

“This is an important project and with the development of the Coastal Path Network, the Energetica Corridor and NorTrail, the bridge is becoming more important than ever so we need to secure its future.”