Council and business leaders seek assurances from Scottish Government on A9 and A96 upgrades
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COUNCIL and business leaders have joined forces to seek assurances from the Scottish Government that it remains committed to upgrading the A9 and A96 roads.
Highland Council leader Margaret Davidson has joined her counterpart in Moray, as well as leaders from the Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI), the Federation of Small Businesses and Inverness and Moray chambers of commerce, in signing a letter sent to cabinet secretaries for finance and transport infrastructure Derek Mackay and Michael Matheson.
In the face of calls from environmental groups, including the Scottish Green Party, for the government to abandon dualling both roads as a response to the climate emergency they say the upgrades are crucial to the prosperity of local communities.
The letter sent yesterday states: “The calls to scrap these upgrades are extremely short-sighted at best and would be a barrier to strong progress on renewable energy and forestry growth.”
Councillor Allan Henderson, chairman of regional transport partnership Hitrans, also signed the letter and said: “We know that we need to take action to deliver environmental sustainability, but we also need to recognise that many of those who use these routes do so without available alternatives.”
SCDI Highlands and Islands director Fraser Grieve added: “The reliability of our transport network is vital to continued success and delivering these upgrades, along with other transport enhancements, will support the sustainability and competitiveness of this region.
“As we look to deliver a clean growth economy, it is vital that we understand the benefits of different transport improvements to the long-term sustainability of our communities, and ensure we have the infrastructure to support their continued contribution to our economic success.”
