BBC Radio - Highland News - reports APT 'West Link Consultation' Concerns

To listen to the short report click here

(It was the news bulletin just before 7am today; the whole bulletin is around 10 minutes long, the APT concerns item starts at around 2 minutes in  - at 02.43 - and is just a sound bite; original interview was longer)

No Councillor; the 'West Link Process' was not totally transparent

Take a look at this extract from yesterday's (17/04/2013) BBC News Highlands and Islands webpage:

...On Tuesday, BBC Scotland revealed that house builder Tulloch Homes and supermarket chain Tesco lobbied Highland Council to pursue that route.

But council leader Drew Hendry denied the local authority had been unduly influenced by commercial companies, and he said the West Link process was transparent.

Tulloch Homes said it had not lobbied councillors or council officials. A spokesman also said that it had been the company's understanding that its submission to a public consultation on the road in 2011 was a public document.

In reply to Cllr Hendry; if the process was totally transparent then why am I able to pose these two questions:

• Why weren't all the consultation responses available on line for everyone to read, just as they would have been if the responses had been submitted as part of a Development Plan consultation?

• Why was there only a summary of responses, dated 12/02/2012, displaying a selection comments (with reference numbers and not names)?

THC needs to pay more attention to public concerns and put all of the consultation comment from all the consultations  onto their web site.  The responses from the first consultation should have been available at the time of the second consultation.  

The Inverness West Link page is at THC web site HERE

"...a life and death situation on the west coast"

According to the BBC web pages:

An MSP has said that Highland Council should make upgrading the A890 Stromeferry bypass a priority over the controversial Inverness West Link.

Rob Gibson MSP is quoted as saying:

"Highland Council must see its priorities in a Highland-wide setting.

"I believe Highland Council has been sitting on the money that it's got for development of this West Link and in the meantime, whilst arguing over avoiding 10 minute traffic jams, there is a life and death situation on the west coast at Stromeferry."

Link here

Senior members of The Highland Council refute '...that the Council was influenced by either Tesco or Tulloch'

...Council Leader Drew Hendry (SNP) said: “To question the integrity of all the Councillors and senior officers who have examined and considered this matter over the past 12 years is highly regrettable, deeply offensive and probably actionable. 

Much More HERE

Follow the Inverness Courier's on-line discussion HERE

Out goes Whiteness and in comes the 'Inverness Western Link' into the Second National Planning Framework????????? But at least there's mention of a Nairn Bypass

As a preamble to the much anticipated arrival of consultation on a Third National Planning Framework, why not take a look at this extract from the Second NPF 'Monitoring Report'  -  published by the Scottish Government in June 2012.

It says:

'....The proposed Highland-Wide Local Development Plan makes provision for significant housing and other developments in and around Inverness, including a major urban extension of Inverness at East Seafield and Stratton, and substantial residential development at Nairn and at a new settlement at Tornagrain. The Inverness Campus is one of the sites in the Life Sciences Enterprise Area. Further development of the 
Inverness Airport Business Park is also a priority. Development will be supported by substantial investment in transport and other infrastructure. A design study for the upgrade of the A96 between Inverness and Nairn, including a Nairn bypass, is being undertaken by Transport Scotland and is currently examining design options and their impacts. The Highland Council is also progressing proposals for a western link road crossing the River Ness and the Caledonian Canal. (my underline)

Highland Council is working with Architecture and Design Scotland (A+DS) to prepare an Inverness City vision...'

Now take a quick look at the relevant paragraph in the Second NPF itself:

214. The A96 corridor between Inverness and Nairn is the main focus of growth in the Inner Moray Firth. Highland Council's A96 Corridor Development Framework includes proposals designed to accommodate an additional 30,000 people in the area over 35 years. These include significant expansion to the East of Inverness and at Nairn, the creation of a new settlement at Tornagrain, and a residential and marina development at Whiteness. Development on this scale will require substantial investment in transport and water and drainage infrastructure and the creation of supporting green infrastructure. The STPR has identified the need to dual the A96 between Inverness and Nairn and provide a new rail station, airport interchange and park-and-ride facilities at Dalcross. It has also identified a package of improvements to the Aberdeen - Inverness rail line which would reduce journey times between the two cities by 20 minutes and improve the connectivity of communities along the route.

So why is this local distributor road now referred to in the Monitoring Report?

This is a bit rich given that NPF is a National Strategy and the STPR informed the second NPF and the western end of the Link Road was not considered 'worthy'  of Government money as a 'Strategic road' in the STPR (and still isn't far as I am aware). 

A96 Corridor Proposals: A quick web 'round up'

Having just completed a couple of posts speculating on the future of development in the A96 Corridor it occurred to me that it may be useful to remember a few details from the past.

Here are a few 'reminders' that I have come across so far, I will keep updating this post in the next few days.

A96 corridor may house extra 9000 (08/08/2006)

‘Brighton of the north’ plan could create up to 600 jobs

War zone to £3.1bn planning strip

History of the A96 Corridor Plans; did you know?

Inverness Airport Business Park; when the press comes calling

Corridor of Power

The Highland-wide Plan – is it the A96 Corridor Framework reinvented?