Fix A9 accident blackspot before 250 new homes built, councillors urge road chiefs
Road chiefs are being urged to upgrade a notorious A9 accident blackspot before hundreds of new homes are built nearby.
Highland councillors this week agreed to write to Transport Scotland to ask them to carry out an upgrade of the infamous Knockbreck junction on the Tain bypass.
The move was in response to a masterplan for 250 homes which will be built over an 11-year period on open ground on the eastern fringes of the town between the neighbouring Asda superstore and Burgage Drive and Seaforth Road.
Planning permission in principle was granted for the massive housing project when Highland Council’s north planning applications committee met on Thursday.
The project was passed unanimously, although full planning permission is still to be sought and granted on each of the individual six phases of the planned new housing estate. If approved, the new homes would be built over a period ranging from one-to-three years for the early phases, and up to 11 years for the final one.
Phases one and two of the new estate, which is being proposed by Cairngorm Properties Ltd, would see housing built on land north-east of the Asda access roundabout on the B9174 and also to the west and north-west of the supermarket.
Subsequent phases would extend further west, taking in open ground sandwiched between the bypass and woodland on Seaforth Road, with the final phase later extending up to the road in Hartfield Gardens.
But although the increased housing for the community was welcomed by many councillors amid a housing crisis in the region, several aired concerns over the impact of the added traffic on the Knockbreck junction, which links the eastern end of the town to the Tain bypass and is a notorious accident blackspot.
The committee heard that a “slice” of land near the existing junction had been requested to be set aside from the wider housing estate for future potential work to upgrade the junction. The nature of this upgrade has not been decided, although a roundabout has long been called for by road safety campaigners in the area.
However, any use of this “slice” of land for an upgraded road junction is not expected until after the first two phases of the new estate are completed.
And numerous councillors were not eager to wait until several phases into the new construction work before addressing an existing safety issue.
Councillor Maureen Ross, who represents the local Tain ward, said: “We have a big problem coming off the A9 onto the B9174. Would roads maybe look at a roundabout there because it is a dangerous junction with loads of accidents.”
Responding, council officer Dafydd Jones (Area Planning Manager - North), said: “Transport Scotland haven't objected [to the new estate] but they have asked for a slice of land be safeguarded in phase two and that's to make sure [there are] future opportunities for that junction to be upgraded.
“Transport Scotland haven't asked for any further improvements at this juncture but that may well come forward in future, but they have asked for that strip of land to be reserved.”
But councillors urged Transport Scotland - which maintains Scotland’s trunk road network - not to wait until later to proceed with the work.
Cllr John Edmondson (Cromarty FIrth) voiced his “disappointment” that the national roads authority had not requested the upgrade now before construction begins.
He said: “I want to echo Cllr Ross's observations about this junction, which is pretty dangerous. I'm slightly disappointed that Transport Scotland have taken the view that it's okay at the moment. Is there anyway to get the infrastructure that might be required - say a roundabout at this junction - before development goes ahead rather than after it?”
Other councillors agreed. Cllr Richard Gale (East Sutherland and Edderton) added: “The wall at that junction has been knocked down so often it's put back up in Lego it’s been down and up, up and down. It's really, really dangerous so quite a surprise that Transport Scotland are saying it is adequate because it most certainly is not.”
Cllr Angela MacLean (Dingwall and Seaforth) said: “Transport Scotland don't seem to object to a lot of the roads they are responsible for and it seems to me it's because they may have to pay towards the improvements [if they did]. How many times did [former councillor] Maxine Smith talk about the Tomich junction [near Invergordon], and others have talked about the roads that are the responsibility of Transport Scotland.”
And Cllr Jan McEwan (Wick and East Caithness), while welcoming the development of new homes amid the housing crisis, also asked if work on the A9 could be accelerated. “[The junction] really is pretty dangerous. As one of my colleagues says, the walls have been up and down and I've even witnessed pretty serious accidents there myself.
“I don't know why we can't go back to Transport Scotland now and ask them to reconsider this junction before the development gets into progress. There's going to be a lot of construction vehicles, and then once phase one is built there's going to be a lot of vehicles going in and out of these houses.”
Responding, Mr Jones explained that as the land had been allocated for future housing for many years, its impact on the junction had already been factored into earlier calculations by Transport Scotland, as it was not “additional development over-and-above that previously identified”.
And he also said that the nature of the application - which was only seeking permission in principle and not yet full planning - meant that “we cannot make any requirements on this application... other than to bring it to [Transport Scotland’s] attention that it remains an ongoing concern”.
However, he added that: “It's recorded as being one of the highest accident blackspots on the A9 so that isn't lost on [Transport Scotland] and I think that's the reason why they've set aside and safeguarded [land].”
And he said that although it would carry no legal weight, the council could write to Transport Scotland on the committee’s behalf urging it to “actively review” its position.
Councillors agreed that a letter should be written to Transport Scotland raising their concerns over safety at the junction.
The planning in principle was also approved unanimously.
Chairman Drew Millar (Eilean a' Cheò) wrapped up the item by noting: “Members I assure you that a letter will be sent to Transport Scotland with your concerns”.
