The group of residents are urging local folk to respond to a consultation exercise which is currently underway and support their ongoing petition.

Chairman of Invercairn Community Council, George Ritchie, told the Herald that the campaigners want to see a footbridge across the Philorth to enable people to cross the water - somethign they have been pushing for for many years.

He said: "We took up a petition two years ago just in the village. We discussed this at the time and thought it best to keep the petition in the village. In hindsight, we should also have put it into the shops in Fraserburgh," he said.

A total of 690 people have signed the petition to-date, he confirmed.

"We presented a copy of the petition to the Waters of Philorth Management Committee last year. I stated our case then and we heard nothing. We just want to know if the Waters of Philorth Committee are for the bridge or against it," said Mr Ritchie.



He and his fellow community councillors are due to present the petition to Ian Hay of the East Grampian Coastal Partnership in response to an ongoing consultation exercise about the issue.

Responses to the consultation exercise have to be in by February 28.
The East Grampian Coastal Partnership (EGCP) is a voluntary group of individuals and organisations who have an interest in the wellbeing of the local coast between Kinnaird Head, Fraserburgh and the mouth of the River North Esk, by St Cyrus.

Mr Ritchie pointed to the level of support in the two villages, stating: "Look at it this way, we have 690 signatures in favour of a bridge. The population of Inverallochy and Cairnbulg is around 1,400-1,500 people, so over half the population is in favour of this."

Councillor Ian Tait, who chairs the Philorth Management Committee, said the matter was not a straightforward one, advising the Herald: "The committee asked East Grampian Coastal Partnership to carry out the consultation. The Management Committee wanted the following groups to be consulted - the general public, Crown Estates, Environmental Protection Group, Fisheries Research Services, Fraserburgh Angling Club, Fraserburgh Golf Club, Invercairn Community Council, landowners, River Basin Co-ordinator, SEPA, RSPB and Scottish Natural Heritage," he said.

The chairman explained that this was a complex issue due to the many elements involved, claiming: "Doing works at the river is incredibly strictly supervised by protective agencies.

"When the Management Committee wanted to do important and necessary works to prevent the path at the riverside being washed away, we thought it would be a straightforward matter.



"Instead, there was a very rigorous process to go through and a lot of permissions to get from different agencies," continued Cllr Tait.

"In considering the need for a second bridge, the management committee asked for a professional opinion about costs of a second bridge and the council's engineers produced a written report which indicated the costs of a second crossing could range from £83,000 to £171,000 depending on location not including VAT and land and legal costs.

"The council's officers have indicated that a large sum of money will be involved and the river protection agencies will have a view and so the management committee has not taken a view about a second bridge until all the information is at hand.

"The committee will be looking at the information coming back from the consultation and all other relevant facts before coming to a view as to whether there should be a second bridge," he said.

However, campaigner Bob Stephen, who has been pressing for a bridge for more than 25 years, disputes the costs involved.

He believes the work could be carried out for around £12,000, citing the example of the kind of structure now in place at Cairnbulg Harbour.

Cairnbulg resident Mr Stephen said: "I believe this would be a tremendous boost for tourism. Research has shown that 60 percent of Scottish tourism is walking related and each walker spends on average £40 per day."

He believes that there should be a walking link between Fraserburgh and Cairnbulg, saying: "We need a true coastal link, as people would rather walk along the shore."

In cultural terms, Mr Stephen feels that such a link for walkers and ramblers would also make Maggie's Hoosie more accessible.
He added that during the Planning for Real consultation exercises in 2005, the bridge and footpath was on the table, but never materialised despite overwhelming local support and a an EU directive to encourage more walking visitors into small communities.

Councillor Brian Topping urged people to make their views known, commenting: "I would encourage people to come forward and respond to the questionnaire."

He praised Mr Stephen's commitment to the project and urged people to pull together on this. Councillor Topping, who is also a member of the Waters of Philorth Management Committee, pointed out that there were a lot of issues to consider, including health and safety of any structure and the fact that rivers, by their nature, can changed direction over time.

"There is a lot of work to be done," he added.

Ian Hay of the East Grampian Coastal Partnership, explaining its role, said: "Discussions about the possibility of different routes between Cairnbulg and the west side of Philorth have been going on for some time. We have been brought in and asked to look at the options. We have commissioned an engineers report and are now undertaking a wider consultation.

"At Fraserburgh Library, there is a copy of the report and a series of questions that people can answer. We have written to key groups such as the local community council.

"People can register their views on line at www.egcp.org.uk at the link to Waters of Philorth," he said.

The deadline for those submissions is February 26.