Your views: Street lighting added to A9 junction
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Your letters and online contributions – including new lighting at a notorious A9 junction, a plea to speak out on local development and bikes for hire.
Street lighting added to A9 junction
MSP Kate Forbes said she hopes new street lighting around the notorious Munlochy junction on the A9 will help improve safety at the accident black spot. The works concluded last week when testing for the lighting was completed.
“Not a solution, and I’m sorry to say I don’t believe lighting will stop the multiple serious accidents on this section of road. Close the central reservation crossings and send drivers north to Tore/south to Kessock roundabouts to turn, and you’ve instantly prevented drivers crossing multiple lanes on a busy road for minimal cost and huge safety improvement for sake of a few minutes extra drive in either direction. Not a permanent solution either (the junctions need re-designed with flyover or underpass and proper lengths of slip roads to join/exit dual carriageway), but given we apparently can’t even afford to fix potholes in this country we could make this road safer in the medium term for minimal cost. I’m aware that it’s only a small percentage of drivers who are causing the issue by misjudging speeds/distances between traffic and then causing accidents, but their impact on so many means it’s not worth the ongoing risk to keep these crossings open.” – Ben Law
“Waste of money, the only sensible solution to prevent loss of life here is to close the turn off. Many people already just carry on to Tore.” – David Jack
“What on earth difference will that make? It needs an underpass like North Kessock.” – Linda Macpherson
“It’s cars criss-crossing a busy dual carriageway that’s the problem, not the lighting. Need a roundabout or an over or underpass, it’s a terrible junction.” – Andrew Baird
“I can’t see that making a blind bit of difference, some of the worst accidents that happened there were in broad daylight. They could have saved a fortune by making it a 50mph zone for quarter of a mile in each direction.” – Garry Bates
“Just close the junction off and make folk just head to Tore.” – Blair Mackay
Make your voice heard on area development
Inverness is a beautiful city with a wonderful riverside that is prized by the community and the many tourists that visit our city.
As recent correspondents in the Inverness Courier have noted, the city also needs to grow and appropriate provision needs to be made for new commercial and industrial premises to sustain jobs. As we watch the steel frame of the new industrial shed currently rising above Stadium Road, surely we must begin asking ourselves, should this really be our first choice location for industrial development.
The proposed Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan suggests that it is.
In the Highlands, we are fortunate to have plenty of space and an opportunity to develop these facilities in ways that are complementary to one another. We can have commercial and industrial space located discreetly, so that we can make the most of our incredible landscape, so that as a community we can enjoy the health benefits and visitors will continue to be drawn to our wonderful landscape and scenery supporting the tourist economy.
The former Longman landfill site has a wonderful waterfront location and has abundant wildlife. It could become a sensational opportunity to develop for recreation and outdoor activities. Looking out across the firth to the Black Isle and Ben Wyvis, it is a prime site.
Cities around the world recognise the value of a waterfront location. They are investing millions to maximise the benefit for their local economies. We don’t need to look too far, Aberdeen is bringing forward plans for a major park regeneration of its waterfront. In the last few years, Dundee has transformed its image with the development of the V&A.
With hundreds of new homes being developed around the edges of Inverness, a new park with cafés and leisure facilities would be a welcome space for health and wellbeing.
There are plenty of more appropriate places where we could locate industry, without mentioning the technical difficulties presented by this site. It would show a lack of vision and ambition for the city if it were to be developed as an industrial site.
The consultation period for the Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan is open until the June 17, 2022. This is your opportunity to make your views known on a wide range of issues that affect the future of your community and influence what will happen on your doorstep in the years ahead.
Calum Mclean
MAAC Studio
on behalf of Highlands and Islands Architectural Association
Hire cycles appear to be a waste of money
I park frequently in the parking bays at the [train] station, and walk along to the town to do my shopping. I have noticed since quite a while, that there are about a dozen brand new electric bikes in stands, outside the station, obviously for hire.
Yet at no time when I pass is there any bike missing, so it would be interesting to know what the uptake is, or if any are being hired at all.
I wondered what firm could be wasting such money in buying so many bikes, and getting no financial return. Then I looked closely and saw that each bike was provided by Transport Scotland. So it would appear that you and I have bought these bikes, and we are continuing to pay for their inactivity.
A bit of forethought would have indicated to Transport Scotland that no one is going to hire a bike they have never seen, far less tried, and cycle off on busy city streets with no dedicated cycle lanes. The lanes come first, and then the bikes!
Robert McKenzie
Inverness
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