Kingswells Community Council

Dear Sir or Madam

The Final Draft Core Paths Plan

After studying the above document and maps, Kingswells Community Council (KCC) now wishes to make the following comments.

We feel that this has been a well researched, clearly documented piece of work.

The aims and initiatives are clearly beneficial to the people of Aberdeen encouraging recreation, education and healthy outdoor pursuits.

Under this proposal, many of the original walks around Kingswells will be made circular in nature by the addition of a loop or a new connection to other paths. This will make them a much more pleasurable experience.

1.      Aspirational  Path AP7

Although we realise that there would be some structural work involved to make AP7 safe for walkers and cyclists, KCC would like to promote this route for future consideration. It would make a very good circular route at the lower hillside of Brimmond Hill for the people of Kingswells who would not require a car to access it.

2.      Suggested Heritage Path

KCC would like to recommend that the large Consumption Dyke to the west of the village is repaired. Presently, this large important historical monument is in poor condition and is unsafe for walkers trying to use the stone pathway along the top of the dyke. Once repaired, it would be fairly easy to provide a short path to the Quaker Burial Ground. This walk would be an interesting local heritage path with historical and educational value.    

3.      Information on Paths

We would also like to see much more informative leaflets being produced to encourage people to use the paths. Aberdeen Countryside Project has produced a leaflet called "Bucksburn Valley -A Guide to Walking and Cycling" and we think this is an excellent example of literature showing local walks, history, archaeology, wildlife and fauna. 

4.      Concerns over maintenance and management.

We would like to voice our concerns over the long term maintenance of any new paths. Around Kingswells we already have a plethora of wonderful paths which, over the last few years, have fallen into disrepair due to the following reasons.

• Drainage problems. Many paths are used very frequently and become very muddy -especially in winter.

• Aberdeen City Council has previously closed off access by putting up fencing. The paths become impassable very quickly due to overgrowth of vegetation. For example, fencing was put up across the path beside Webster Park (marked "42 A") which soon became overgrown with thistles and nettles.

• Landowners do not always maintain paths and remove precarious fallen trees which have blown across paths.     

KCC would like assurances that a suitable budget is set aside yearly, for maintenance of any proposed new paths as well as the existing paths.

5.      Objection to Candidate Core Path (previously Numbered 43) now AP5 or "Kingswells Bucksburn Link". 

Due to many factors, including the isolated nature of this area, Option 2 should be discounted as a safe route between the two communities.  KCC strongly object to proposed path Option 2. We have responded in detail to this during the separate consultation process "Kingswells Bucksburn Path Link Public Consultation (01/09/08 - 10/10/08)"

KCC has suggested a Kingswells Bucksburn Link Path alongside the Kingswells-Newhills-Bucksburn road (Option 1) has clear advantages over the proposed cross country route.  

At a meeting on the 13^th October KCC were informed that Redmyres is under consideration as a proposed halting site for gypsy travellers. Option 2 will pass close by Redmyres. Public consultation on these path options ended the week following this announcement. People based their considerations unaware of this information. KCC now demands that if Option 2 is not automatically removed from consideration by ACC, a further consultation should take place, with all information made available to the public. 

We trust these comments will be considered for inclusion in the finalised plan and if any clarification of any of the above points is required, please contact the undersigned.   

Yours faithfully