No impact report is needed for link road
Planners think plans don’t need environment study
The impact of a proposed new link road through Viewforth isn’t significant enough to warrant a formal Environmental Impact Assessment according to Stirling Council planners.
The long discussed route was the subject of screening opinion submitted by the council’s roads service to the planners, seeking a view on whether a specific EIA was needed.
This week the officials ruled out an EIA because the proposal would “not result in a significant effect on the environment”.
However, they added that a host of reports and assessments should still be submitted with any future planning application for the road.
The proposal would involve the construction of a new road, linking Burghmuir Road with St Ninians Road, running from the existing roundabout at the Burghmuir Road/Linden Avenue junction.
It would go through part of the existing Linden Avenue car park, using a cutting to access the hill running up to the now razed site of the former New Viewforth council building and ending at a junction with St Ninians Road and Snowdown Place.
Council planners say the overall site is currently part car park, part woodland and part cleared site and is not in an officially designed “sensitive area” such as a Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area, Site of Special Scientific Interest, or a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
They added, however: “Any forthcoming application should be supported by a significant amount of information which considers the environmental impact of the proposed development including a comprehensive package of habitat and ecological surveys and any necessary mitigation, archaeological report, site investigation report, transport assessment, air quality assessment, landscape and visual impact assessment.”
Locals have already been making their feelings known about the proposed route through the council-owned site, which has been a hot topic for several years.
Kings Park resident William Ruddell described the idea as “misguided”, adding: “The building of a Viewforth link would be an inordinately expensive engineering project due to the difficult terrain and would create many problems and have many undesirable consequences.
“It would eat into Stirling’s already minimal `green lung’, trashing an important Conservation Area; drive increased and heavily polluting traffic into and through a high amenity densely populated residential area; create further dangers at the already dangerous main entrance to Stirlings major public park.”
Another local, Andrew Hipkin, meanwhile told the Observer, while wider proposals had benefits for Stirling’s transport routes, these should not be dependent on the Viewforth link road.
He added: “Stirling Council insists the proposed new link road is essential to allow traffic reduction in the city centre, as part of the Inner City Ring Road. There is no evidence that this would be the case; if anything, it could increase traffic and congestion around Linden Avenue roundabout, Snowdon Place, etc.
“Furthermore, the link project will be disproportionately expensive due to the engineering requirements of negotiating a steep sand bank, right next to a locally important Listed building (Langarth House).
“The money could be much better spent on the real problem areas in the south of Stirling.”
Stirling Council is holding drop in information sessions on the link road and wider transport strategy: today (Wednesday) and tomorrow (Thursday), 3.30-6pm, Braehead Primary School; Friday Nov 16, 3-7pm Council Chambers, Old Viewforth; Saturday November 17, 12.30-4pm Council Chambers, Old Viewforth.
Further information on the Viewforth Master Plan is available online at: https://my.stirling.gov.uk/ services/council-and-government/ consultations-complaints-andcompliments/consultation/ past-consultations/viewforthmasteplan.