Bungling Aberdeen council workers have covered historic city centre cobbles with tarmac.
The stones have been a feature on Windmill Brae for generations, but stunned residents discovered at the weekend they had been tarred over by the authority’s roads department.
Yesterday, it emerged some of the tar had broken up already, leaving evidence that manholes had been covered up.
The area is among the city’s most historic – with the Green one of four administrative medieval quarters recognised – as long ago as 1399 – as being an important point of entry to Aberdeen.
And now, local government minister, Kevin Stewart, who also serves as MSP for Aberdeen Central, has written to the local authority’s chief executive, Angela Scott, calling for the reinstatement of the cobbles “as soon as possible”.
He wrote: “Not only have you tarred the street, but you have tarred the medieval heart of the city.”
Mr Stewart visited the road, which forms part of the Old King’s Highway, and found it has not only been covered in tar, but chunks of it are coming loose and breaking away from the road.
He added: “The city council has a responsibility to repair roads and pavements in Aberdeen – not to destroy our history and heritage.
“It is embarrassing that professional road repairs teams have laid tarmac as a material to repair a cobbled street.
“Many people will be concerned that, when the winter comes, the rain and ice may lead to further damage and more cobbles being destroyed because of a sub-par surface material.
“Further to this disrespect of our public street is the fact it will cost the council more to repair the damage they have caused, rather than sorting out the road properly first time round.”
Finance convener Willie Young responded that councillors were “not happy” about the apparent mistake.
He said: “We have asked that an investigation is carried out to find out exactly what happened.
“Our city centre director, Mark Cole, is due to meet with roads staff on Tuesday.
“As elected members, we had no idea it was happening, but once we have carried out the investigation, we can look at a possible remedy.”
