Call for action as delays over Dingwall by-pass route contribute to traffic chaos and hamper development
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TRAFFIC congestion along a Dingwall bottleneck road is reaching “crisis-point” as a consequence of Highland Council’s failure to build a long-promised by-pass.
That is the view of Dingwall Community Council, who fear residents living on and near Mill Street and Burn Place will face increased delays, pollution and noise levels despite a new pledge to remove some traffic calming measures.
The road has been blighted by lengthy tailbacks at busier times of the day, with heavy goods vehicles, vans, buses, commuters, school traffic and even emergency services becoming snarled up in lengthy delays.
The community council met virtually on Monday evening with Colin Howell, Highland Council’s head of infrastructure, to discuss those concerns.
Mr Howell is said to have told members that one controversial temporary traffic calming measure - a build-out traffic island opposite the police station - would be removed to restore a two-lane flow of traffic.
A public consultation process to consider making other traffic calming measures permanent, including speed bumps along Mill Street and Burn Place, began this week.
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But the council official could offer no assurances on when the long-delayed Kinnairdie link would be built.
The relief road, which has planning permission, is seen by the community council and Dingwall councillor Graham MacKenzie as a permanent solution to congestion along the route.
It could also unlock further housing and business development, but is no longer part of the local authority’s capital spending plans.
Given rising traffic volume, developers in recent years have been obliged to make financial contributions towards the Kinnairdie link road proposal.
It is understood the council has so far raised a ring-fenced £1.07 million towards a project first costed at £5.5 million, but likely to have risen above £7 million.
Some proposed housing development has stalled in the absence of the link road, but there has been growth to the north of the town.
Critics foresee a rapidly deteriorating situation on the congested streets.
David Lockett (73), a respected Dingwall farmer and businessman who serves on the community council, said: “Traffic flow is verging on crisis-point at peak times.
“There are massive tailbacks and that’s despite the fact the industrial estate, council offices and call centres aren’t operating fully yet. Heaven help us when it gets back to normal.
“It is going to make Mill Street and Burn Place absolutely intolerable for the poor residents and businesses there.
“With idling traffic, residents and business owners can’t park or get moving. It is just a pollution and noise hotspot.
“Removing some traffic calming measures is a small step in the right direction, but what we really need to see is Highland Council implementing their own policy on alleviating traffic by building the Kinnairdie link.
“Highland Council, some years ago, said quite categorically that any further housing development in Dingwall required the building of a relief road, but there is currently no prospect of that. It ain’t good enough.”
Cllr MacKenzie said: “The Kinnairdie link was on the capital plan up to a number of years ago. Then when the council was going through austere times, they chose to take it off.
“I thought that was a very bad mistake. I’ve been campaigning ever since to have it put back on.
“Not only would it ease traffic flow, it also releases planning permission for a great many badly needed houses for Dingwall.
“Equally, it’s about flooding issues. Part of the Kinnairdie proposal was to build a water bund to deal with times of exceptional water.
“If that is built, not only do we release more housing, it would remove a lot of SEPA’s objections to new businesses moving into the business park.
“The consultation process on traffic calming measures throughout the town is now underway, through to July 17, and I’d urge everyone to make their voices heard.”
A Highland Council spokeswoman said: "A report with proposals for a number of capital projects is going to Council next week on June 24. The Council reports will be published on the Council website on Friday, June 18 .”
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