Unsightly tarmac smeared across a historic Aberdeen road will be left unchanged until at least next year, the council has confirmed.
Residents were appalled when council workers tarred over a stretch of the ancient cobbles at the entrance to Old Aberdeen’s High Street last month.
But the local authority has now advised that there won’t be money available to remedy the emergency repair work until at least April.
City council urged to make repairs to unsightly tarmac in historic areas
Old Aberdeen Community Council has vowed to fight for cash set aside for other, “less urgent”, projects to be diverted to return the route to its former glory.
A council spokesman said: “Emergency remedial work was undertaken on the cobbles as a safety measure, using the most appropriate material for a temporary surface.
“Although all resources and priorities have been allocated for this financial year, we will discuss a way forward.”
Community council chairman Gordon Mutch said: “The only way the council will reallocate money is if we put pressure on officers to do so, and we think fixing this extremely visible problem should be a priority.”
The High Street leads to Aberdeen University and the tar was laid on cobbles outside the B-listed Powis Gate Towers, which were erected between 1833 and 1834.
Aberdeen University’s director of estates Alan Wight told the group at a meeting that 10,000 people had visited the campus for graduation ceremonies this week – and described the repairs as “quite nasty” for them to look at.
Mr Mutch had asked the authority’s traffic engineering manager, Doug Ritchie, to attend the meeting but received no reply.
He said: “I had originally hoped Mr Ritchie could attend our meeting in May but allowed him time to get his ducks in a row before coming to address us this month.
“However, I have since tried to get a response from him and failed miserably.
“The message I’m getting is that the council aren’t that bothered about it and I think that is extremely poor.”
A council spokesman said Mr Mutch did not receive any response because of a “misunderstanding” and confirmed that officers have now contacted the community council to arrange a meeting.
Councillor for the George Street and Harbour ward, Michael Hutchison, said the temporary repair was carried out after someone injured themselves on loose cobbles while crossing the road.
