New move in relief road controversy
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MORAY Council could be set to forge ahead with a controversial plan for a western distributor road through Elgin that would require the demolition of two homes on Wittet Drive.
A report going to the council’s economic development and infrastructure services committee on Tuesday identifies a "preferred option" that would involve the local authority knocking down two houses on the residential street.
The £3 million Sheriffmill Roundabout option would also have "substantial" land and driveway impacts on one home, according to the report, and a "minor" impact on a further five properties.
The Sheriffmill Roundabout option is one of three possibilities that will be pitched to elected members. The other two, costing £2.8 million and £4.8million, would require the acquisition of three and four houses respectively.
According to senior engineer Frank Knight, the author of the report, the Sheriffmill Roundabout option provides "a more technically acceptable solution" while having "less impact" on houses.
He writes: "All acceptable junction options for joining Wittet Drive to the A96 trunk road require the acquisition of residential property.
"The delivery timetable of this project is dependent on a number of aspects. Key amongst these are the planning process, property acquisition and finance. Should these proceed smoothly, this scheme could be delivered in its entirety in three to four years."
He added: "The delivery of the Western distributor route is crucial to the continued development of Elgin and will require a significant investment over a number of years."
The report indicates that the Sheriffmill Roundabout option would see traffic head along Wittet Drive as it does at present. However, a short distance past the intersection with Bruceland Road, a new road – to connect with a roundabout on the A96 – would be built to send traffic north-west instead of north.
Two houses, some garden land from six other properties, and part of a field would be required to accommodate the road.
The council’s decision to proceed with the Wittet Drive plan continues to anger residents.
Wittet Drive home owner Mike Looseley, former chairman of the Elgin Link Road Action Group, said he resigned from his position in June after councillors made their decision to pursue Wittet Drive as a preferred route for a western distributor road through Elgin.
"I quite willingly gave it up as I am sick with what I believe has been the council’s bad faith over the past 10 years now," he said.
Mr Looseley maintains that the latest Wittet Drive options are identical to what was thrown out by the council a number of years ago. "I am not in the least (surprised) because this is the option proposed in 2004 and they never let go of it. It is badly thought out and badly designed; it’s a rotten proposal."
He said a new organisation, called the Designing Streets Action Group, has been formed to discuss "better ideas" with the council. However, Mr Looseley said he fully expects council officers to "rubbish the ideas" of the new action group and "steamroll on".
Fellow Wittet Drive resident Caroline Webster, chairwoman of the new group and a surveyor by trade, said the organisation is focusing on a Scottish Government ‘Designing Streets’ policy which puts residential areas ahead of roads.
Even if the preferred option for the western distributor road is approved by elected members on Tuesday, she said the process "still has a long way to go".
"This is all completely contrary to this policy," she said. "We are trying to promote the new policy, Designing Streets, which puts people first before roads and aims to stop roads dominating residential areas.
The decision they (the council) made flies in the face of this policy in every sense."
See this week's 'Northern Scot' for the full story.
