A Mearns mother has raised her concerns over the lack of access to a popular football park in her town.
Caroll Evans from Inverbervie is worried that children and teams wanting to use the pitches at The Haughs now have to use a dangerous single-track road, after a path of steps leading to the fields were closed.
The steps, which started behind the doctors’ surgery on Church Street, where Ms Evans lives, were closed off after they were deemed unsafe by Aberdeenshire Council.
Ms Evans told The Courier the crumbling path was dangerous and she had complained about its condition before the steps were sealed off, but the closure now means users of the football pitches have to access the park via the single-track road.
”My son and his dad go down to the park every Saturday morning and they now have to drive to the football,” Ms Evans.
”I live in Church Street and it would take four or five minutes to walk using the steps but now it takes about 23 minutes going round the long way as the steps are blocked off.
”The road leads to an industrial estate used by coal vans. It isn’t wide enough and it’s not suitable. For safety now I have to take the car. There are 50 or more children at the football in the morning and that’s just for training.
”All these teams are now using this road and you have to drive now for your own safety. My seven-year-old son and his father would like to walk to football for health benefits but I do not think the access road is safe enough for them to walk on.
”My partner is a coach at the Soccer Sevens and he is also concerned for the safety aspects.”
Aberdeenshire Council confirmed it had closed the steps because they were unsafe but was unable to provide a timescale for when they would reopen.
Head of roads and landscape services Philip McKay said: ”The steps leading to The Haughs football pitch in Inverbervie have been closed to the public for safety reasons. The steps will remain closed off until repairs can be made, or an alternative access route can be formed.”