Second best not good enough at Rest and Be Thankful
COUNCILLORS are demanding a ‘permanent fix’ for on-going problems at the Rest and Be Thankful, after a ‘horrific’ incident where debris from a landslide almost killed a woman.
Second best is no longer good enough, is the clear message from Argyll and Bute Council, in finding a permanent solution to A83 road closures and delays in opening any alternative routes.
In a message to the Scottish government from the authority’s policy lead for roads and amenity services, Councillor Ellen Morton said: ‘While the council acknowledges the work carried out to date, we continue to consider this nothing more than a temporary measure.
‘Although the Old Military Road has worked reasonably well during recent incidents, we still need to explore options which guarantee continuity of access.
‘There is now a great deal of stigma attached to the Rest and Be Thankful and public confidence is very low in terms of the reliability of the route.
‘We need the Scottish Government to progress a permanent solution as a matter of urgency and to give us a time scale for this, as well as putting a communications plan in place to give people across the country the confidence that Argyll and Bute remains open for business despite these on-going closures.
‘While we are committed to doing all that we, as a local authority, can do, it is only the Scottish Government that can provide the answer.
‘It is ridiculous that such a major route continues to be closed during periods of bad weather. This has a huge impact on the local economy.
‘ We cannot pretend that this does not have a detrimental effect on people going about their day-to- day lives. These continued closures are intolerable,’ she added.
Donald Clark, an Inveraray businessman, added his voice to concerns: ‘I have consistently argued that the most dangerous and vulnerable section is the top 300- 400-metre stretch of the A83 on the Rest – every slide over 50 tonnes has occurred on this stretch.
‘ We in Argyll are being treated with utter contempt by officialdom and the sooner we have politicians and officials prepared to make proper decisions to deal with this long -running saga the better.
‘There was much back-slapping and ‘ well done, fellas’ with the containment of the last slide, but if another 100 tonnes plus had come down it would have failed miserably.
‘The sooner the decisionmakers face the obvious facts and spend £ 3-£4million in properly and permanently protecting this dangerous section the better.
‘Action please, every expert has had his say to no avail.’