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Councillors to consider plans for stabilisation of Bervie Braes

Proposals to stabilise the Bervie Braes in Stonehaven will come before councillors, with a recommendation to proceed to tender for a revised slope remediation scheme.

The new scheme is being developed within the £3m budget that has been allocated by the Scottish Government and Aberdeenshire Council. It will include drainage works to remove the ground and surface water which has been identified as a main contributing factor to slope instability, and soil nailing to those areas at greatest risk.

As part of the proposals, officers are recommending that the scheme proceed without the need for waivers, which has previously been an area of significant concern for residents.

Waivers would offer some degree of protection for the council, given that it would be undertaking work which it had no legal obligation to undertake and on land which was not in its ownership. However, the waivers which have been signed relate to a previous scheme that will not be progressed, and therefore now require to be set aside.

In light of the low return rates of signed waivers in the past and the limitation to the degree of protection that they can afford the Council, it is recommended that the new scheme proceed without the need to pursue new waivers.

As with all construction projects, both the design and implementation phases of the works will be covered by industry standard insurance and indemnity clauses which transfer appropriate risk to the designer and contractor for these phases of the works.

If the proposals are agreed, a letter will be sent to affected residents explaining the details of the new scheme and confirm the council’s position regarding the waivers.

It is hoped that work could start on site in April 2012.

The report will be considered by councillors at the Policy & Resources Committee on Thursday 10th November.

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