The current flagstones would have a significant cost to fully repair– more than £1.5 million - which would then likely need to be changed anyway due to the major improvement works to link Union Street to the beach area.

The area is due to have the improvements as part of the City Centre and Beach Masterplan, which will reinstate the central role of Union Street while establishing stronger linkages north to the beach area via the Castlegate.

Bearing in mind the forthcoming major improvements and so as to not spend money on a full repair which would then need to be ripped out, a temporary cost-effective solution is to be installed in the area.

The temporary cost-effective solution is in the form of compacted road planings which is a waste material generated from Aberdeen City Council’s capital roads resurfacing programme.

The use of waste planings, delivered directly from other roadworks sites around Aberdeen, will also minimise the carbon cost in line with the council’s commitment to net zero.

The road planings will be used to create a road surface for vehicular traffic, whilst pedestrian pavements of cassies will be repaired.

It is acknowledged that while the compacted road planings will not be the most aesthetically pleasing of surfaces, the works will allow the area to be kept safe whilst minimising expenditure on an area which will soon be redeveloped as part of the CCMP.

The flagstones, which were laid in the early 1990s, will be retained for potential future use.