Moray MP Douglas Ross has called for council officials to listen to local residents and back a vital infrastructure upgrade in Forres.
Douglas has been contacted by concerned constituents in relation a large number of vehicles using the narrow Balnageith-Mundole Road to allow them to access the A96 Aberdeen-Inverness road at Findhorn Bridge.
He has highlighted how the area to the south-west of Forres has seen a massive increase in residential developments in recent years, but this has not been backed up by road infrastructure upgrades in the area.
Douglas says this is “unsustainable” going forward given the volume of traffic heading towards places like Nairn and Inverness for work and leisure and the narrow road is now “not fit for purpose.”
Specifically, Douglas wants developers to contribute towards upgrades and has asked officials to consider plans to widen access near to the Greshop roundabouts on the A96.
However, a response from council officials claims that this proposal would be subject to “extraordinary costs” and that value for money must always be demonstrated.
Moray MP Douglas Ross said: “There has been an extraordinary increase in housing developments in this area in recent years. However, this has failed to be backed up with the necessary upgrades in local road infrastructure.
“Narrow roads like this are simply not fit for purpose given the large volume of vehicles that now use this particular route, which links up with the A96.
“Due to the number of houses that have been built to the south-west of Forres, the volume of traffic that are now on this road every day, could not have been foreseen when it was originally built.
“The response from council officials is extremely disappointing. While I understand budgets are tight, what I have proposed I believe is a common-sense approach, but it does not even appear to be under consideration.
“The concerns of local residents have clearly not been listened to after I wrote to officials, and they will wonder when they will ever see local roads upgraded.
“This is unsustainable going forward and I urge officials to look again at the case to support crucial road upgrades near to Forres.”
