Voice your opposition to ‘damaging’ road bid
Dear Editor We have, with little notice, been informed that Stirling Council Planning Committee will consider the Viewforth Link Road (VLR) on Tuesday, June 25 at 10am at Old Viewforth.
We hope that members of our communities are able to attend to demonstrate their opposition to this damaging road building proposal and that our elected representatives give a fair hearing to our concerns.
To date council officials have shown no inclination to listen, or to seriously ask (or adequately answer) questions about the wisdom of pressing ahead with this dated plan. Why do we need this road? How much will it cost – millions clearly – but how many? Why are we facilitating an increase in traffic into the centre of Stirling when we could focus investment on sustainable transport, education, social care etc.?
Why fell significant numbers of trees, damage wildlife habitats, and cause irreparable damage to the green spaces around one of the city’s main conservation areas when projections show that traffic volumes will increase by 2020 on all the major roads under these plans, both the VLR itself, but also the very roads it is meant to be relieving?
Why the refusal to commit to a full Environmental Impact Assessment? Why push ahead with the road before committing to proper mitigation measures to ensure the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and our children?
How can increases in roadside pollution be dismissed as within “safe limits” when the World Health Organisation only this year declared “small particulate pollution has health impacts even at very low concentrations – no threshold has been identified at which no damage to health is observed”?
Scottish and Westminster Governments – NetZero by 2050. Stirling Council – building an innercity ring road through residential areas.
We intend to keep pressing for answers.
Braehead and Broomridge Community Council and Kings Park Community Council