Half million cycle project in chaos
Police have warned new design is unsafe
A £ 500,000 cycle crossing could be ditched over safety concerns.
South Ayrshire councillors - who were handed external funding for the scheme - have given back the cash amid fears the project is “too dangerous”.
Now leading members of the council’s own administration are bidding to have the project scrapped.
The Toucan crossing, so- called because it allows pedestrians and bikes to cross together, is proposed at Ayr’s Alloway to Burton Underpass.
But further consultation will now take place with community councils and businesses.
It follows police advice that the new design for the existing crossing point on the A719 Dunure Road is “unsafe”.
And they labelled a plan to extend the 30mph speed limit beyond the existing crossing into rural land as “inappropriate”.
Now SNP councillors Siobhian Brown, Craig Mackay, and Laura Brennan- Whitefield have joined with Labour’s Ian Cavana to demand a second look at the project.
Cllr Brown said: “I feel it is irresponsible for elected members to disregard professional advice to improve and secure public safety from Police Scotland and Ayrshire Roads Alliance.”
After handing back the outside funding, the council may now be liable for large parts of the project should they press ahead.
A source close to the council said: “They’ve gone from having full funding to open a bridge to now doing something that is dangerous - and they don’t have any money to do it.
“They might need to reapply for the money but the council will probably end up being liable for half of that.
“They can’t justify spending money on that because they already had that money and they gave it back.
“The bottom line is they had full funding for it and that money is now gone.”
A spokesman for the Ayrshire Roads Alliance said: “The paper has been called in and no decision has therefore been made.
“It would be inappropriate for the Ayrshire Roads Alliance to provide comment at this time.”
The Audit and Governance Panel will meet tomorrow ( Thursday) to further discuss the plan.