Western Link Road design changes published

Changes to the design of the proposed Western Link Road in Elgin have been published.

There were 32 requests for changes to many aspects of the road, including road width, pavements, junction and signage improvements. Of the 32, 21 have been accommodated in the current design. Others were not implemented because they conflicted with other requests, had no real benefit, were illegal or were unworkable. All are detailed on the council’s website at www.moray.gov.uk/WLR or by following this link

All the changes were presented to the objectors who raised the design concerns at a workshop earlier this year.None sought changes to the new rail crossing, which the council sees as one of the main benefits of the project that will ease traffic flow around the town.

Council Leader, Cllr Stewart Cree, said: “The project consultants and engineers from the council’s own team have been working to resolve the objectors' concerns, and I’m delighted to see that the majority have been resolved.

“I expect a revised planning application to be submitted early in the New Year that will include all these agreed changes.

“It is vital that this link is built if we are to prepare Elgin for its future development; the existing roads infrastructure is already straining to cope with the limited rail crossing options. With new houses being built all the time and hundreds more planned it is incumbent upon us as councillors to take a strategic view and plan for that growth.”

Planning permission for the link road was refused last year, but Members of the Full Council asked for a revised application to be made that would address the reasons for refusal. The revised application is expected to be lodged with the council’s planning team in January2016, with a view to it being considered by the Planning and Regulatory Services Committeeby early summer.