Recommendations on the next steps for the project were presented in a report to the ACC Area North Committee in February 2009.

The report recommends that the Area North Committee.

1. Note the action to date in taking forward this project;
2. Support Option 2 as the preferred corridor for the path link, with the following steps to be taken in moving forward:

• Continue with minor path improvements already planned as part of preparation for the Core Paths Plan for 2008/09
• Design a section of new path between Greenferns Community Woodland and Bucksburn in 2008/09 to informal, granite dust standard, suitable for further upgrade in the future if deemed necessary at a later date
• Seek funding from external sources (such as Nestrans and Sustrans) for implementation next financial year
• Monitor use of Option 2 paths in the summer months in order to establish the level of demand for upgrades to enable winter use
• Report back to the appropriate Committee highlighting the outcomes of the monitoring that takes place and providing recommendations on whether any further works are required
• Resume required land needed for the path from tenant farmers leases.

As the questionnaire response results in the report identify, Option 2 received the most votes and ACC plan to implement this option. However, the number of returned questionnaires was lower than anticipated, so although there was a preference for a tarmac surface and lighting on this route, ACC would prefer to trial the route without these attributes initially over the summer months. This will allow us to gauge if the route's usage is high enough during the summer to financially justify the additional work required to facilitate all year round use. A counting device has been installed on the route which will allow us to collect data over the next few months to help make a decision.

As much of the route of Option 2 is currently part of Core Path 42, these sections of the route are currently being upgraded as part of the planned Core Path Plan improvements. Recent work has meant that sections of the path are now wider, with better drainage and a granite-dusted surface. Forthcoming work includes amending the boardwalk to remove the occasional steps, and providing a short alternative to the current very steep section. The remainder of the link, between Greenferns Community Woodland and Bucksburn is currently under design and more details will follow in the near future. See some of the "Before and After" photos on the upgraded sections below:

Despite being a less popular choice, the Option 1 route still received a lot of support from cyclists. However, information from the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) web page suggests that this route should experience a 74% reduction in traffic levels once the AWPR is built, which could remove the need for an off-road route. This is something which will be examined once the AWPR is completed.

In addition the Aberdeen City Core Paths Plan was approved by the ACC Council Policy and Strategy Committee in April 2009 and is currently being implemented.

We will continue to offer further updates as the Kingswells to Bucksburn route project progresses.