CRITICAL upgrades and fixes are currently in progress at two of Aberdeenshire Council’s most active harbours, with a total budget of £500,000. This investment at Macduff and Stonehaven aims to tackle the bulk of significant issues found in the piers during the latest checks. The previous year, the council’s Harbour Services team carried out essential fixes at its ports in Portsoy, Banff, Rosehearty, Gourdon, and Johnshaven.
Keith Simpson Stonemasons are set to reconstruct the wall located beneath the fishmarket pier, which serves as the northern boundary of the wave trap.
The less urgent aesthetic issues with the concrete at the end of the Lighthouse Pier will be fixed with spray concrete treatments over the upcoming fiscal year.
In the meantime, plans are in progress to mend the cracks that appeared following the severe storms of the previous winter’s season, with construction starting as soon as possible.
In Stonehaven, Aberdeen Marine is in the process of repairing underwater structures in the harbor to fix gaps and erosion, in addition to addressing several minor issues. The team will collaborate with the Harbours Service to enhance the storm gate sill of the inner harbor to safeguard against undercurrents. They will also work with Aberdeenshire Council’s Roads Service to repair the damage caused by winter storms to the breakwater pier deck, aiming to improve safety.
It is expected that all works at both Macduff and Stonehaven harbours will be finished towards the end of August.
Stonehaven councillor and chair of the council’s Infrastructure Services Committee, Cllr Alan Turner, added: “We are very fortunate to have such thriving harbours around the Aberdeenshire coastline which support a range of commercial and leisure activities. These latest repairs works at Macduff and Stonehaven demonstrate our ongoing commitment to these facilities to ensure they are safeguarded for years to come.”
ISC vice-chair Cllr Isobel Davidson added: “I am delighted to see this continued investment in our harbours which not only protects the integrity of the infrastructure but also helps maintain existing operations and supports future opportunities which is great news for the harbours and wider communities.”
