Route force wins the day! Campaigners welcome U-turn on cycleway plan between Aviemore and Carrbridge
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TRANSPORT Scotland has done a U-turn and will now construct a dedicated cycleway between Aviemore and Carrbridge following pressure from community leaders.
The move was announced just before a Public Local Inquiry on the wrangle was due to get under way at the Boat Hotel in Boat of Garten on Monday.
The Strathy understands the new 9.9-kilometres non-motorised user route (NMU) will be built next to the B9152 (the old A9) and A95 from Aviemore to Kinveachy, then follow the B9153 to Carrbridge.
The Scottish Government transport agency’s go-ahead for the new route was described as a “remarkable change of heart” by the convener of Highland Council.
The local authority along with the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) and three local community councils – Carrbridge, Aviemore and Boat of Garten – had challenged the stance adopted by Transport Scotland.
They had been insisting that they would create a non-motorised user link between the two villages using in part busy local roads and veering far away from the region’s arterial route.
The hearing to be led by a Scottish Government Reporter – and expected to last for up to five days – was called off following agreement being reached.
Andrew Kirk, chairman of Carrbridge Community Council, is delighted with the breakthrough.
He said: “Currently the old A9 is very busy and is really dangerous for cyclists no matter how experienced they are.
“In the last three years we have been really pushing for this. We did a survey which was overwhelmingly in favour of an off-road of the old A9/A95 parallel route which the CNPA and Highland Council supported.
“The CNPA has really helped to get us to where we are now – this shouldn’t be underestimated.
“We want cyclists and walkers to come through the village and a safe route with no contact with vehicles which a NMU provides. Families, older people, leisure and commuter cyclists will all benefit.
“We have long wanted this non- motorised route – it ticks so many boxes.”
Councillor Bill Lobban, local member for Badenoch and Strathspey, said: “This remarkable change of heart from Transport Scotland proves beyond doubt that when we work together it does produce results.
“Highland Council, the CNPA and the three local communities jointly worked hard on this for many months culminating in an agreement from Transport Scotland to create a new off-road route that will benefit the wider community in so many ways – result!”
Geva Blackett, CNPA board vice-convener, said: “We’re delighted that Transport Scotland has made this significant commitment to improving active travel between Aviemore and Carrbridge.
“This reassurance allowed us to withdraw our objection to the proposed A9 Dalraddy to Slochd scheme as the issues we based our objection on will now be addressed via a different project.”
Highlands and Islands MSP Edward Mountain (Scottish Conservative) remarked: “Common sense has prevailed. Well done to the CNPA and its partners for standing firm.”
Following the objections to the A9 Dalraddy-Slochd scheme due to the NMU issue, Transport Scotland undertook an additional study to investigate a new link.
Gavin Miles, the CNPA’s head of planning and communities, said: “The study identified potential routes that Transport Scotland could build but they required the CNPA or Highland Council to secure necessary consents and access to land that neither organisation had the capacity or resources to deliver.
“Following a meeting between the chief executives of the CNPA and Transport Scotland in late February, Transport Scotland made a further proposal with a much greater commitment to resource the preparation for and delivery of this dedicated path for walkers, cyclists and others.
“The revised proposal is a significant commitment to delivering this project between the communities.
“It gives the CNPA confidence that the non-motorised user provision we considered to be lacking in the A9 dualling scheme will be delivered in this separate project and because of that there is no need to continue to object to the A9.”
A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: “We welcome the decision of CNPA to withdraw their objection to the scheme and now look forward to working with them and other partners to progress the separate plans for a shared-use NMU facility between Aviemore and Carrbridge.
“We look forward to sharing our proposals for a preferred route option for the NMU facility with the public as design work progresses.”
