Invergowrie residents to get say on Swallow roundabout scheme

Invergowrie residents will be consulted on plans to overhaul the busy A90 Swallow roundabout, amid claims it could lead to drivers “rat-running” through the village.

Labour councillor Alasdair Bailey raised concerns that work had been approved by Dundee City Council, without any dialogue with people living in Invergowrie. Mr Bailey pointed out that a quarter of the site was land controlled by Perth and Kinross Council.

Now the councillor has received assurances that developers will lodge a separate planning application for the Perthshire portion of the site.

Meantime, Perth and Kinross planning officers have written to counterparts in Dundee, asking them to ensure a traffic survey is carried out at Invergowrie before any work begins.

In her letter, planner Persephone Beer said: “There is concern that the proposed scheme has the potential to cause an increase in vehicles using this route as a rat run. The application does not include any traffic flow modelling that could give reassurance in this regard.”

She added: “It is noted that drivers choose their routes based on what ‘appears faster’ and therefore might prefer to cut through Invergowrie rather than risk a relatively short delay at a traffic signal.”

Mr Bailey said he was pleased residents in his ward will now get a say on the plans.

“Common sense has prevailed,” he said. “I expect that we will see an additional planning application from the developer in the coming weeks for the portion of the roundabout that is in the Perth and Kinross Council area.”

He added: “Residents have pointed out to me that the Swallow roundabout was constructed as a bypass for Invergowrie.

“Therefore any proposal to change it must be carefully assessed to ensure that it continues to serve the function of taking traffic away from the village centre.”