Hedge-cutting and drainage work on a road in Cove has created a quagmire and caused ‘barbaric’ damage, a meeting heard last week.
The single-track Barbour Road runs along the Rosneath Peninsula and is popular with walkers because of views over Loch Long and towards Arran.
But a member of the public told Cove and Kilcreggan Community Council that the way hedges had been cut back was ‘just like a massacre’.
“There were some quite nice ash trees growing – two of them have been sliced off, two have been left,” said Charlotte McLean.
“There’s the crazy cutting that they’ve done of the rhododendrons that come over from Knockderry Farm – they have cut a notch.
“There has been some very ad hoc clearing out of some of the ditches, there doesn’t seem to be any kind of logic – there is literally a river coming down and it goes into a ditch.
“The Barbour Road is very special, it is where a lot of people go, walk their dogs, you get incredible views of the village and you feel like you’re in the highlands
“To do that to those hedges is just really upsetting.”
Vice convener Ali Mills said the damage was ‘barbaric’ and community councillor James McLean said: “There’s damage to the hedging, there’s road damage because people have been driving on the verge and it’s like a quagmire, it’s broken up the tarmac.
“The verge is completely chewed up and damaged, and because the burn is blocked it’s overflowing the road.”
Another resident, Ann Strachan, said: “There is a blocked stream that comes off the hill and then there’s a right angle.
“I complained to the council twice about this and they have just not replied.
“They need to dig a ditch, unblock the stream and repair the road. What is the problem with that?
“They dug through the rock to divert that stream into another stream, and I’m really surprised that somebody like SEPA isn’t concerned about that, taking the headwaters of one stream and putting it into another one.”
The community agreed to map photographs and co-ordinates of the issue and report this to Argyll and Bute Council.
An Argyll and Bute spokesperson said: “Our roadside maintenance plan is timed to encourage plant and wildlife diversity, without compromising roadside functions.
“We did not undertake any work on the hedgerows, but did remind landowners to keep foliage trimmed to prevent it encroaching onto the road, for safety reasons.
“We did carry out some ditching work recently at Barbour Road. This was inspected last week and we found it had successfully stopped water crossing the road.
“The area where water is still flowing across the road is not part of the council works. We will look into the situation.”
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