Damage caused by Storm Arwen to some Angus country parks won’t be fully cleared until almost two years after the storm.
Work to clear paths at the Crombie, Monikie and Forfar Loch country parks has not yet been done by Angus Council, almost a year and a half since the storm hit.
The local authority says the delay is due to the demand for contractors and budget constraints.
Following the approval of council budgets, however, plans are now in place work to start at Forfar Loch.
But due to the amount and nature of work required in Crombie and Monikie, work cannot start there until the current nesting and breeding season is over, in Autumn 2023.
Winds of more than 90mph uprooted trees across Tayside and Fife when Storm Arwen battered the region in November 2021.
Nature attractions such as Templeton Woods have since been cleared and reopened to the public but access to Crombie Park remains largely restricted.
When the work finally gets under way to to clear Crombie and Monikie, the first phase will focus on removing parts of trees blocking access to paths.
The second phase two will include limited internal clearance of the woodland to allow some new planting of native species.
Kirsty Hunter, chief executive of ANGUSalive, the trust which runs the parks, said: “We are pleased plans are in place to clear the paths at Forfar Loch and future works at Crombie and Monikie have been scheduled for later this year to protect and support local wildlife.
“Although Storm Arwen has resulted in some paths currently being inaccessible, our country parks remain open for visitors to enjoy these special outdoor spaces, as well as support their health and wellbeing.”
Councillor Julie Bell, native woodland, amphibians, and barn owl species champion added: “We completely recognise that many people will be disappointed that access within all the country parks can’t be improved immediately, but our priority must be to the wildlife that these valuable native woodlands support.”
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