Traffic chiefs are to take a soft-touch approach to parking restrictions in a Courier Country village by laying down lines in pastel shades.
In a bid to preserve the conservation area atmosphere of the Mearns village of Auchenblae, Aberdeenshire Council bosses have come up with a plan to tackle parking problems by shying away from glaring yellow lines and putting down a marker for motorists in primrose or cream.
But one councillor is concerned drivers might confuse the parking restrictions with a DIY job carried out by a local resident brandishing their own brush.
Aberdeenshire infrastructure services director Stephen Archer told a meeting of the Kincardine and Mearns area committee: “Auchenblae now has conservation area status and consultation with the planning authority has informed us that waiting restrictions can be considered in Auchenblae, provided they are applied in a sympathetic manner.”
The plan involves No Waiting at Any Time restrictions at a couple of problem junctions in the historical village, a couple of miles off the A90 Dundee to Aberdeen dual carriageway.
“It is proposed to undertake a four-week statutory consultation with interested parties,” said Mr Archer.
“This would be followed by a 21-day public consultation, with site notices at the affected locations.”
North Kincardine councillor Ian Mollison said: “There was no real dissention to the idea but I think we should probably keep things simple and straightforward for motorists.
“Otherwise, they might think that some resident has just popped out with a pot of Dulux and painted their own lines down.
“I think we should be consistent and not start having local variations,” said Mr Mollison.