Aberdeenshire Council has confirmed it will not fix a landslip in a north-east town – because it does not own the ground.
A section of walkway in the Broadsea area of Fraserburgh has been left teetering since January, when heavy storms tore through the region.
Plans had been in place to bolster the pathway with rock armouring, but those have fallen apart.
In an update on flood defences across the north-east, the local authority’s director of infrastructure services Stephen Archer tells councillors the land is not owned by the authority.
It means that the owner of the land will be responsible for repairing the damage.
“The path at Broadsea and the road in front of it are both designated as private,” Mr Archer said.
“Aberdeenshire Council are not responsible for the maintenance of this path. The flooding and coastal protection section did request signs and barriers to close the path when the slip occurred and also placed some sandbags across the dropped kerb access to prevent water flowing over the path.”
There are fears that a failure to fix the path could leave hinder the trade of nearby tourist attractions, including the Fraserburgh Heritage Centre and the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses.
The route affected is used by walkers to take in the sights across the coastline and leads directly to the museums.
Alternative routes take pedestrians through industrial sites.
Rock armouring was added along the damaged pathway in 2009, but stops just short of where the slip happened.
Last night, local councillor Charles Buchan said he would investigate the issue for the authority further.
“I’m very disappointed at this statement, as it will affect the whole of the coastal path network, if the path is closed,” he added.
