The controversial Spaces for People programme will leave West Lothian Council with a bill of more than £100,000.
This will cover the costs of removing some temporary measures and making permanent those supported in communities including Linlithgow and East Calder.
The money will come from existing Roads department budgets, a report to the West Lothian Council’s Executive said.
A key complaint from councillors when the scheme was first introduced was that while Holyrood funded the initial work there was no clarity on funding for the long term.
In an update on consultation on the Spaces for People projects which began last Autumn, Roads and Transportation Manager Gordon Brown detailed the extensive public engagement with communities and local councillors.
The in-depth engagement was in answer to another key criticism of the Spaces for People programme across Scotland.
The programme funded by Holyrood was a response to the initial 2020 lockdown during the Covid pandemic and aimed at encouraging people to be more active either by walking or cycling.
Councillors complained within months of accepting the SfP programme in June 2020, that they had been presented with few details and only broad brush proposals.
They quickly found the devil was in the detail when their email inboxes and surgeries were filled with complaints from constituents over issues such as road restrictions and 20mph zones on otherwise open roads.
While the most controversial elements of the project have disappeared some did make a difference, and communities have asked for them to stay.
Mr Brown’s report detailed: “Following the consultation process the following recommendations are proposed to be carried out:
The advisory cycle lane road markings will remain through Blackridge, the west cycle lane in St Ninians Road Linlithgow will be removed ( £5,500) and the east will remain, the Edinburgh Road cycle lane will be made permanent (£6,000);
Any remaining bollards will be removed from East Main Street Broxburn cycle lane ( £1,500) and the advisory road markings will remain;
The temporary footway build outs will be made permanent in Linlithgow ( £45,000), Mid Calder ( £7,000), East Calder ( £8,500) and Kirknewton ( £28,000) and detailed designs would be required to progress;
The temporary footway build-outs in West Calder will be removed (£4,000);
The east loaning footway parking in Linlithgow will be removed as part of the West Lothian parking strategy interventions.”
All estimated costs are at the higher end.
Mr Brown told the Executive meeting: “The total estimated cost implications to carry out these recommendations would be in the region of £105,500. The works required in relation to these costs can be funded from existing block budgets within the Roads capital programme.”
Mr Brown concluded: “This additional consultation with Ward Members, Local Area Committees and Community Councils that has been carried out allowed a further opportunity to receive comments on whether the remaining SfP measures should be retained or removed.
“The feedback contained within this report will allow the Council Executive to approve whether the remaining SfP measures should be retained or removed.”
Councillors in the Executive meeting backed the proposals without comment.
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