DEVELOPER’S PATH PLEDGE
Site plan includes widening of Broich Road route
A representative of the firm behind a prime site in Crieff has confirmed a dangerous section of footpath will be upgraded in response to fears over its safety, subject to a planning application being
Strath capital resident Craig Finlay wrote to London & Scottish Developments to highlight concerns in the wake of a young boy being taken to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee for treatment following a road traffic collision on the town’s Broich Road on Wednesday, October 2.
The youngster suffered a serious leg injury as a result of the incident, which is believed to have occurred near a narrow footpath within the compass of land owned by the Glasgow-based firm a short distance from the town’s Aldi store.
The flashpoint prompted Mr Finlay to call on Perth and Kinross Council’s administration to have “serious discussions” with a view to the landowner upgrading the footway he labelled a “danger zone” and linking it up with other sections further down the road which have already benefited
from improvement work by the local authority andasaresultofAldi’s presence in the town.
And Mr Finlay this week revealed he has now received a reply to his letter from Graeme Reid, a construction manager with London & Scottish Developments, which states progress could be on the horizon“shortly”as a planning application in relation to the area is in the pipeline.
An extract of Mr Reid’s response – headed London & Scottish Property Investment Management Ltd and seen by the Herald – states:“We had already been alerted to the incident by the council although we didn’t know the specifics of it or the location.
“It must have been very distressing for all those concerned, and we certainly hope that the injured child makes a fully and speedy recovery.
“You may be aware that we intend to come forward shortly with a planning application for our site and I would advise that we had already factored in the extension of the 3m [metre] wide footpath that runs along the Aldi site frontage and this too will extend along our entire site frontage along Broich Road.”
Mr Reid’s letter concludes:“These proposals will be subject to approval by the planning and roads authorities but we would hope to receive support for our development proposals from local residents, the community council and the wider stakeholder community.”
In response, Mr Finlay – whose original letter blames the narrowness of the footpath for the incident involving the boy – said:“It is clear that the sections of new footpath along Broich Road, which are behind the dyke and away from the dangerous roadway, need to be joined up to create safe pedestrian passage and the missing link is through London & Scottish Development’s land.
“Having now received an up-to-date response from the company, it is reassuring that the pathway will be created and connected with any forthcoming development.”
A council spokesperson confirmed to the Herald shortly after the October 2 incident that it had“already ensured that the development of the site in question will include a footpath behind the wall as has been provided by Aldi and ourselves.”