Stonehaven SNP Councillor Welcomes Bervie Braes Road Re-Opening

Stonehaven and Lower Deeside SNP Councillor Graeme Clark has welcomed a decision to re-open the Bervie Braes Road during the summer months.

The decision to re-open the road, which has been closed to vehicles following a landslip in 2009, was taken by members of Aberdeenshire Council's Policy and Resources Committee today (Thursday 18 April 2013) after they considered a number of options for the future of the route.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Clark said that while he would have preferred the road to be open all year and closed in the event of heavy rain, he welcomed the decision to reopen the road and to revisit the situation after October.

Earlier, Cllr Clark's SNP Colleague, North Kincardine Councillor Alastair Bews, moved that a full review of the impact of the first year of reopening the road should be carried out, with a view to opening the road to vehicular traffic permanently. His recommendation was accepted by administration councillors.

“The Bervie Braes road is important for local tourism", said Cllr Clark. "While I'd have preferred a year-round opening, I'm hopeful that the partial re-opening we will see this year can lead to a permanent reopening in the future.”

Under the new scheme, the road will open during summer months (April to October), with a weight limit of three tonnes, a 20mph speed limit and a one-way system running from Dunnottar Castle into Stonehaven. Barriers will also be installed as an added safety measure on the road running down Bervie Braes.