North-east councillors will next week be asked to completely withdraw from maintaining and further developing one of the regions most scenic walking routes.
Aberdeenshire Council planners will also tell members that the local authority cannot afford to invest any further in the Gordon Way or its coastal path network from the “limited budgets” set aside.
The council had planned on extending the 18.km (12mile) Gordon Way – which starts at Bennacchie Centre and runs to Suie – through Rhynie to Huntly and east to Inverurie.
But at next Thursday’s Infrastructure Services Committee (ISC), councillors will be asked to “note the costs and implications” of extending both the Garioch pathway and its coastal footway network.
The cost of maintaining the Gordon Way is £9,486 per year, however the council would have to fork out as much as £2.42million to completely upgrade and extend both path networks.
Council environment planner, Linda Mathieson, said: “The proposals are that 21km of coastal path and the 18.6km of the Gordon Way will not be maintained.
“To be able to carry out the essential route maintenance of these sections that have not been included in the review path maintenance priorities would require a further £20,196 of budget per annum.”
Currently there are 56km (35miles) of coastal paths within Aberdeenshire, 35km (22miles) of which are maintained by the council.
The cost of bringing the existing path up to scratch would be between £1.2million and £1.8million.
Ms Mathieson said the “estimated costs for the maintenance of all the coastal path is beyond that available within current budgets” – and has recommended to continue catering for just the 35km.
The Forestry Commission Scotland has said it does not have the funds to maintain the Gordon Way, however the council is looking to the Huntly Development Trust as a possible “community led” approach.
ISC committee member and former chairman, Peter Argyle, said: “I think it was triggered more by the cost of up-keeping the bridges, particularly on the old Formartine and Buchan railway.
“I think the recommendations and suggestions made would be – rather than the council doing a huge amount – to look and see if there is a community approach.”
On both issues, the local authority is also considering seeking money through national funding bodies such as Heritage Lottery.
A spokeswoman for the Huntly and District Development Trust said: “We are keen to work alongside Aberdeenshire Council to explore ways to maintain and extend the Gordon Way to Rhynie and Huntly.”