Council ‘vandalises’ city centre by covering cobbles

● Tar used on historic route ● Quick fix ignores heritage of city

Council workers have been accused of vandalising the “medieval heart” of Aberdeen after covering up historic cobbles with tar.

The stones are made from the city’s famous granite and have been a feature on Windmill Brae for hundreds of years since the hilly road was the entrance to the town.

But residents discovered they had been tarred over at the weekend. One local posted photographs of the street on social media sites stating that it was “utterly incredible that such vandalism should be perpetrated”.

The resident added that it was obvious from the quick fix of the road that the heritage and history of the city were both sadly lacking in the perspectives of the people responsible for the removal of the cobbles.

The street, which leads to the centre of Aberdeen, is one of the oldest in the city with the nearby market Green recognised as one of the four administrative medieval quarters in 1399.

Now, local government min- ister Kevin Stewart, who also serves as MSP for Aberdeen Central, has written to the Aberdeen City Council’s chief executive, Angela Scott, calling for the reinstatement of the cobbles as soon as possible.

Mr Stewart visited the road and discovered that other parts of the cobbled surface had also become loose and were breaking away from the road.

He said: “It’s embarrassing that professional road repairs teams have laid tarmac as a material to repair a cobbled street.”

Aberdeen City Council finance convener Willie Young said a small part of the road was resurfaced due to concerns raised by local businesses about the condition of the street.

He said: “The work was necessary to secure loose cobblestones on the carriageway, which were a potential hazard for pedestrians.

“The repair was intended to be temporary and carried out on a trial basis.

“However, the appearance of that part of the street has fallen short of the standards we expect, and the tar is to be removed.

“A permanent solution in keeping with Windmill Brae’s historic streetscape is being planned as a matter of urgency.”