Council owns up after £200,000 repairs agreed for city cycle path

A COUNCIL has admitted to a “serious failing” after repairs worth £200,000 were ordered to a cycle path without proper approval.

Work at the path involving a boundary wall in the Ferryhill area of Aberdeen has been suspended while an investigation takes place.

Aberdeen City Council said there was doubt over who owns the land but it is understood it belongs to a Labour councillor, Willie Young, the authority’s finance convener.

Mr Young has denied any wrongdoing and said he was waiting to hear from his solicitor on whether he owns the land or not.

The council said approval for the project did not follow the required governance procedures and was not presented for committee approval and said a review was under way.

The project was to be fully funded by Sustrans, a cycling charity, which awarded just over £21,000 for preliminary work, with the full funding to be paid when the work was completed.

Bernadette Marjoram, the council’s interim director of communities, housing and infrastructure, said: “Aberdeen City Council acknowledges the project did not subsequently follow the required governance procedures and was not presented for committee approval at any stage in the process.

“This is a serious failing by council officers and therefore an urgent review is under way. In light of this, work has been suspended. At this stage the ownership of the land is in question”

Local SNP councillor Graham Dickson said: “This revelation needs to be fully investigated to ensure there has been no misuse of public funds.”

Tom Mason, of the Scottish Conservatives, said: “I think most local residents would be surprised that the council cannot identify who owns the land in question.”