Pavements in a sorry state

Sir, – Anyone who has walked down the pavements on the High Street in Fochabers will have found them in a considerable state of disrepair; broken paving, thick with grit and dirt, to the extent that it feels that we are now living in some Third World country.

The pavements were heavily gritted, eventually, during the heavy snowfalls of last winter. This grit has never adequately been cleared away, in spite of an attempt by someone from Moray Council who brushed lightly over the surface.

The bypass construction trucks have moved tons of infill from one end of the village to the other and back again, and this has added to the already unsatisfactory situation. A Morrison Construction road sweeper diligently sweeps the road on a regular basis, but the pavements are left untouched.

Some form of mini version of a sweeper is now required to clear this grit from the pavements. On windy days it is whipped dangerously up into the eyes of anyone who does try to negotiate the High Street.

Another dangerous situation is where the concrete of the pavements has broken up because of the cold weather over the winter. In particular outside the Co-op, as well as at other places on the High Street, the concrete paving has gone completely, and we are forced to step down to walk across the muddy subsoil. This is an accident waiting to happen for someone with a pram or disability scooter, or for pedestrians who do not see the broken paving.

I do hope that Moray Council has adequate public liability insurance, should someone trip and break a leg on this section of pavement.

I believe from our community council minutes that we are to get new street lighting some time next year. Why new lights are necessary is not known, since the existing lighting is more than adequate for the A96 trunk route.

Perhaps Moray Council would be better spending this money now on reinstating the High Street pavements. – Yours etc,

John Adam,

Fochabers.