Major cash boost for Ayrshire timber transportation projects
Projects in Ayrshire which help improve the transport of timber have been awarded a cash boost from the Scottish Government to continue the flow of timber moving to market.
The grant of over £827,000, to the Ayrshire Roads Alliance and North Ayrshire Council, will go mostly to improve minor roads.
A raft of work will include the improvement of surfaces, widening corners, adding traffic calming measures or providing passing places.
All these measures will help keep the flow of timber moving to market and reduce impacts on local communities.
The cash boost is co-financed and drawn from the Strategic Timber Transport Fund which is managed by Scottish Forestry.
Announcing the funding, Màiri McAllan, Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform, said: “A green recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic is imperative and, as part of that, we are committed to supporting our forestry sector given its role in our transition to net zero.
“The sector also provides thousands of jobs and generates around £1 billion to our economy each year.
“By improving our timber transport network we can help the industry get its timber to market and ensure economic benefits continue.
“It will also reduce the effects that timber lorries can have on small local communities.”
Roads throughout Ayrshire are set to see improvements to aid timber flow.
The roads set to benefit from improvements include:
•A713 at South of Hollybush and south of Waterside
•B741 Dailly Straiton
•B741 at Girvan/Dailly junction and C101 to U21 in South Ayrshire
•B7035 South Water of Girvan
•The Ross Road on Arran
In addition, the funding will pay for the continuation of a timber transport project officer who advises and assists with generating local projects.
In the last five years, the Scottish Government has invested around £41 million through the fund into over 200 timber transport projects, helping over 55 million tonnes of timber get to market.