The chance to move in a new direction

MID SCOTLAND AND FIFE MSP

Last week’s news that Stirling Council’s leaders had dropped the Viewforth Link Road from their budget plans will be celebrated by the local community and shows the strength of grassroots campaigning in bringing about change.

I’ve been a long-standing opponent of the plan, both in Holyrood and during my time as a Stirling councillor and I’m delighted that this unpopular and reckless proposal has been scrapped. It’s worth re-examining the reasons this road was so unpopular as they speak to some fundamental issues with how transport policy has been approached in the past.

All the evidence shows that when you build more roads, demand rises. Far from reducing traffic, the Viewforth Link Road would have increased polluting traffic in Stirling, making the air dirtier and the streets less safe. Not only that, but the route would have cut right through land that could be used to provide housing, recreation or valuable landscaped green space near the city centre.

During a climate emergency, which the council itself acknowledges, none of that is acceptable. So now that the council’s leaders have dropped the plans for the link road they need to reassure local residents that it won’t be resurrected at some later date, that it is in fact permanently consigned to the bin.

This is a moment of opportunity for Stirling Council’s leadership to change direction when it comes to the future of transport in the city. Rather than encouraging more cars to pollute our streets we need to be investing in sustainable and safe walking and cycling routes, without expanding road capacity. We must use every tool at our disposal to encourage people to leave their cars at home. Making public transport the first choice for as many people as possible is essential. That means the car can no longer be king and it will require investment from all levels of government.

The pandemic has forced us all to spend more time in our local communities than we might otherwise and I’m sure we’ve all come to see the value in locally accessible green space. Again, there is an opportunity here at Viewforth. The end of the project will mean that the trees and natural habitats at the site are saved from destruction but there’s also now the chance to enhance the green space to provide something valuable for the community.

My Green colleague Councillor Alasdair Tollemache, who has also worked hard to oppose the link road, will continue his work in the council to secure a bright future for Viewforth that serves the needs of the local community without driving more and more cars through the area.

That’s why this U-turn is a huge moment for those of us who have campaigned against it since the start. It demonstrates just how much impact concerted grassroots can have and I’m proud to have been a part of that.

This session of the Scottish Parliament is ending soon, and I’ve been proud to serve as a Green MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife for the last five years. Building a more sustainable and fairer Scotland have always been my guiding principle, supporting communities in opposing the Viewforth Link Road has been part of that. If I’m returned in May, those same principles will continue to guide me as a I continue to deliver for Stirling.

Making public transport the first choice is essential