A dangerous sinkhole which opened up in an Aberdeen playing field more than three months ago will finally be investigated by contractors today.
The hole, in Harlaw playing fields, was gated off by council workers and the entire green space was sealed off to the public in May.
In the months since then the area, which is a popular site for runners, has become overgrown with long grass and weeds.
Hazlehead councillor Martin Greig has made repeated calls for the hole to be repaired and the grounds reopened, but last night he feared today’s work could be too little too late.
Mr Greig said: “I have no idea why it has taken so long.
“Harlaw playing fields is the site of a former dye factory, and holes like this could prove hazardous to anyone who ignores the warnings and enters the site.
“The field has been closed off for months now, and I worry that because it has taken so long for work to begin the damage could be a lot more expensive to repair than we previously thought.
“A playing field has to be kept in top condition for proper use, but I fear that too much time has now passed and it could cost a lot of money to properly cut back all the grass and foliage in order to make it suitable again.
“This site is a treasured place for a great number of people in the local community, and I know a great number of residents are very anxiously waiting for the fields to be reopened again.”
Willie Young, the finance convener of Aberdeen City Council, said: “It’s unfortunate that it has taken so long, but we have been forced to wait for contractors.
“I believe Councillor Greig has been scaremongering quite a bit about what’s going to happen to that site – the only thing that’s going to happen is we’re going to restore it as soon as possible to the way it was.
“We must wait for the contractors to do it right, as there are a number of health and safety factors involved.
“I know that a lot of people will be disappointed that it’s taken so much time, but it’s better to get it done right the first time than have to go back and fix it again later.”
