Aberdeenshire Council has confirmed it lacks the financial resources to carry out safety works at a north-east road, branded “dangerous” by locals.
An unnamed road adjacent to Banff’s cemetery – known locally as the cemetery road – has been used by residents to cut commuting time in half to make it to the other side of the community.
However, local people, including schoolchildren travelling to Banff Academy, have to contend with a lack of street lights and oncoming traffic on the single track road.
Despite these problems, the local authority has admitted it has “no plans” to bring any improvements to the route.
And last night, councillor John Cox branded the situation as “an accident waiting to happen”.
He said: “It’s a dark road, and there are people working at the nearby care home who use it.
“A lot of school pupils also use it, and the first priority has to be to have a route plan there.
“The road is single-track and it is a very busy part of Banff. In future, any expansion of Banff will happen there, so something has to happen.”
Mr Cox has suggested that land be identified on the road to allow for pedestrians to give way to oncoming vehicles.
Lights could also be introduced along the side of the cemetery’s wall.
He added: “It wouldn’t cost much. Safety is paramount.”
However, Aberdeenshire Council claimed there was no money for any work to be carried out at the site.
In a letter to Mr Cox, a spokesman responded any proposal “would have to be considered against other competing priorities for funding”.
Derek Murray, roads manager for Banff and Buchan and Buchan, added: “I can confirm that although some initial investigative works have been carried out, there are currently no improvement works planned for Cemetery Lane and no budget allocation has been made for this project.”
