Locals shocked by secrecy over bridge replacement plan for Delny crossing

A RURAL Easter Ross community has been shocked this week to uncover details of a previously unknown plan to replace its level crossing with a new bridge and road.

The residents living near the open Delny level crossing have been campaigning for safety barriers since two teenagers were killed there in 2007 when the car they were travelling in hit a train, and they are against Network Rail’s proposal to close it completely.

Now it has emerged that Network Rail is willing to design and construct a replacement bridge and road, which will be key to unlocking nearby land for a 100-house development.

The area’s community council this week hit out at the “secrecy” surrounding the new plan and said safety barriers should still be installed, pending negotiations and construction.

Kilmuir and Logie Easter Community Council found out about the bridge proposal this week after members came across a Highland Council memo in more than 50 papers it had received through a Freedom of Information request regarding the crossing.

Network Rail told the Ross-shire Journal yesterday the bridge is one option it is looking at, but it has not made any decisions about how to progress the proposal.

The railway authority is due to discuss the bridge option further with Highland Council later this month and its representatives will attend a public meeting to be held by the community council at Polnicol Hall on October 15 at 7.30pm.

An email — dated August 14 this year and marked confidential — from a senior engineer at the council to various colleagues, said: “Network Rail have identified funding to upgrade/replace level crossings and they would like to make a case to use this to replace the existing crossing with a bridge, provided suitable agreement can be reached with the developer, landowner and council.

“They would want the level crossing stopped up and physically closed to both pedestrians and vehicles once the bridge is open.”

The email also referred to the fact that a planning application for 100 houses at Barbaraville was made in 2008 and has never been resolved due to issues with the nearby crossing.

Community council secretary Marilyn Wallace said they had asked Highland Council chief executive, Steve Barron, to update them on the proposed closure of the crossing and he turned their questions into a freedom of information request, which for some unexplained reason took twice as long as normal to fulfil.

“The FOI request unearthed a site plan for a new bridge over the railway line plus 51 other pages of correspondence between Highland Council, Network Rail and representatives of Ross Estates,” she said. “The correspondence revealed that a bridge to replace the current open crossing was being discussed over a year ago.”

The community council is unhappy that council staff “sat on the information” in spite of an assurance by Mr Barron that the local residents would be kept informed.

“It would have been useful if all those involved had been more open throughout this process as their secrecy has created a great deal of mistrust especially where relationships with Highland Council are concerned,” said Ms Wallace.

“We still want to know why after eight years of asking there are not better safety arrangements at the important Delny crossing.

“Stubby barriers could have been installed in 2008 along with more appropriate signage. There is nothing stopping this happening whilst they negotiate with Ross Estates over a planning application for housing that hasn’t even got past the outline stage at the moment.”

The community council says the closure of the crossing and any replacement are closely linked to the development of a 100 houses proposed by Mohammed Al Fayed’s Ross Estates on land adjacent to Highland Park Retirement Village at Barbaraville.

It is also concerned there has been little or no democratic input with local councillors.

“Yet again we see the council being led by its officers with little or no regard for local communities or their representatives,” she said.

“Our meeting on October 15 is a chance for all concerned to come clean with our community and for our concerns not only to be listened to but to be acted upon.”

A Network Rail spokesman said: “We are currently undertaking a feasibility review of various options for the level crossing at Delny, but no final decisions have been made.

“Once these reviews have concluded Network Rail will consult further with the local authority, community councils and residents.”

Tain and Easter Ross ward councillor Fiona Robertson said she hoped to obtain more information at the meeting and a Highland Council spokeswoman said: “We understand that Network Rail and the developer need to agree the proposal and then will be consulting with the community.”

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