The latest seven-figure stage of Stonehaven’s long-awaited multi-million-pound flood prevention scheme should be rubber-stamped this week.
Policy and resources committee councillors in Aberdeenshire are being asked to approved a report which will signal the next design stage of the project.
Last year, approval in principle was given to funding construction of a range of protection works up to a value of £15 million.
A tender for the design was previously awarded to Mott MacDonald and following a detailed review of work done to date, the firm is ready to begin the next design stage.
The estimated cost of £1.8m includes design development, detailed design, tender preparation and technical support during the tender of the construction contract.
Council officials have said that if development of the scheme continues at the current rate, the formal notice for the works should be advertised early this summer.
The legal process to promote a flood scheme for the town means it has to be advertised and all those with an interest in land affected by the scheme consulted.
At this stage anyone can formally object to the proposed scheme.
If these objections are not resolved the scheme will be referred to Scottish Ministers.
Ultimately a public local inquiry may have to take place a move that could affect delivery of the scheme by around a year.
Aberdeenshire council head of roads and landscape services Philip McKay said: “While we are making every effort to progress this scheme as quickly as possible, it should not be expected that delivering such a project through the heart of historic Stonehaven will be easy.
“It is likely there will be a number of objections, so at this stage timescales are difficult to state with certainty but we will do what we can to avoid significant delays and deliver this scheme for the benefit of Stonehaven.”