Stance on interchange sparks fury
Transport Scotland’s view that the busy Bellfield Interchange won’t become a priority for almost 20 years has been blasted as ‘scandalous’.
East Ayrshire Council leader Douglas Reid, said that the decision, combined with the failure to secure £10m in levelling up funds from the UK Government, would have implications for both safety and the economic growth of the region.
The council leader said that the lack of improvements at the much lambasted roundabout, which serves as a hub between Ayrshire and the central belt, was having economic repercussions for local people, leading to more and more leaving the area.
He said: “We can’t address some of the issues of population decline until we unlock the gridlock that we have here.
“It’s not just that. We know only too well, every time you put on the radio there’s another accident.
“We know what a blockage does in terms of restricting movement in the area, but it’s the [impact on] long term growth and I think it’s absolutely scandalous that Transport Scotland doesn’t think this is a priority before 2042.”
Cllr Reid insisted that even more needs to be done to lobby Scottish Government and Transport Scotland.
He added that other parts of Scotland seemed to be getting the help that East Ayrshire needs.
“Other areas of Scotland, particularly the east coast, seem to be thriving at the moment.
“In terms of the southwest of Scotland, the investment in an area in which we’ve seen decline in terms of population, there’s been very scant investment plans for the future.
“The stance that Transport Scotland have here are is nothing short of scandalous from my point of view.”
He added that he would be looking for a meeting with the head of Transport Scotland and Transport Minister, Fiona Hyslop, to see ‘firsthand’ what the issues are around the Bellfield Interchange.
SNP councillor, Graham Barton, said that he faced the traffic on the Bellfield Interchange on a regular basis, saying that drivers needed the “reactions of a mongoose or to use ‘the force’” to enter the roundabout at times.
He said: “I live in New Farm and I take that trip down from the Grassyards junction to the Bellfield Interchange, which should take you a couple of minutes, but at peak traffic that’s a half an hour nightmare journey.
“It’s just going to be that tragic accidents happen there all the time until its sorted.
While the interchange was not included in Transport Scotland’s priorities up until 2042, they opened a door for improvements, but insisted that the council had an obligation to carry out its own improvements.
A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: “The second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) recommends that safety, resilience, and reliability improvements are made on the A75 and A77.
“The A77 Bellfield is an example of possible locations highlighted for further consideration for potential improvements.
“Progression of this will be based on considerations of accident history and other factors such as competing needs for capital funding in transport across Scotland.”
However, they added that, as the planning authority, the council needed to address the impact of developments on transport, as it committed to in its local development plan.
It cites the inclusion of short to medium terms improvements to the A77 southbound slip at the Bellfield Roundabout in the plan, as well as £7.7m in improvements required as a result of the council’s spatial strategy.
They added: “Transport Scotland officials would be amiable to a meeting with the council, if they thought that would be helpful in moving the situation forward.”
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Councillor Reid welcomed the agencies’ comments on upgrading the A77 and willingness to meet.
He said: “I cannot emphasise enough how important improving the Bellfield junction is for Kilmarnock, other corridors along the A71 and A76, in fact the whole Ayrshire transport network and the wider Ayrshire economy, not to mention our concern over health and safety in what is becoming an accident blackspot.
“I look forward to meeting Transport Scotland, Scottish and UK Governments to press home the need to improve the Bellfield Interchange as a matter of priority. “
Cabinet agreed to work cross party to raise the issues and work on a strategy and campaign to lobby for an urgent review of the situation.