Councillor disputes benefits of dualling
But financial experts say it could bring £570m
NICOLA FINDAY
An East Kilbride councillor has claimed that the £62million plans to dual Stewartfield Way will bring very little benefit to commuters saving only minutes on journey times.
It comes as the public consultation into the City Deal project by South Lanarkshire Council is underway.
Financial experts KPMG undertook research which estimated that the dualling of the road could be worth around £570m to the East Kilbride area.
But Independent Councillor David Watson said the dualling would see very little reduction in journey time sand cause significant” damage to the area.
He said: “The dualling of Stewartfield Way is nothing short of a massive folly and vanity project at a cost of £62 million.
“Even by South Lanarkshire’s own figures the dualling of the road will result in minimum benefit.
“Based on 2037 projected journey times the savings on the journey time comparisons are negligible and certainly not worth spending £62 million in destroying the environment and the enjoyment local residents and visitors get from visiting the James Hamilton Heritage Loch and countryside along this stretch of road.”
Councillor Watson said figures show the evening peak period journey time saving comparison for Stewartfield Way westbound is around 60 seconds and eastbound is around 90 seconds.
While the morning peak period journey time comparison for Stewartfield Way eastbound is around 110 seconds.
Councillor Watson went on: “All are in between one and two minutes average car journey time. Is it really worth it?
“Peak period times calculated would have included staff travelling to and from the tax centre but we now know that this is scheduled for closure.
“The value to the East Kilbride economy has also to be questioned, because all this road will become is a poor ring road with multiple roundabouts and potentially opening up the countryside towards Glasgow for more development, destroying the countryside between
Kingsgate, Heritage Loch and the Museum of Rural Life.”
Councillor Watson has arranged for a special constituents surgery to be held on Tuesday, December 3 in Stewartfield Community Centre from 7pm until 9pm to allow constituents to discuss the plans for Stewartfield Way.
He added: “I have been contacted by constituents to say that they were disappointed that there was no forum to discuss this issue so felt it was only right for residents to be given the chance to discuss the issue together.”
SLC’s public consultations runs until December 20 with results expected to be available in the first quarter of the New Year.
SLC’s head of roads, Gordon Mackay, said evidence has shown improved journey times would help bring the benefits highlighted, adding that proposals had been developed with the future needs of the transport network in and around East Kilbride in mind .