New council plan would ditch road bypassing town centre

Publicconsultedonproposals foreasingtrafficandnewpark

Ditching proposals for a development road which would bypass Oban town centre is just one of the ideas suggested by Argyll and Bute Council for the next Local Development Plan.

The authority is also considering exploring the possibility of creating a new national park on Argyll’s west coast and islands, promoting tourism, seafood and marine-related industries.

Improving traffic management and parking in Oban is another issue to be tackled in the plan, which will be in place from 2020-30.

Members of the public were consulted on the proposals for the Oban area at an event in the Corran Halls last night.

Many did not agree with the idea of dropping the Oban Development Road from the plan or creating a new national park.

The council’s local development plan main issues report states: “Oban experiences significant traffic and parking issues and there has been no progress in delivering identified strategic transport improvements.

“There is a need for detailed analysis to review strategic transport proposals, such as the Oban Development Road, which are not progressing and consider other opportunities and potential to improve relationships between land uses within the town.”

It continues: “The Oban Development Road (ODR) was proposed to deliver additional development opportunities in the Oban area and relieve the growing traffic management issues in the centre.

“Land adjacent to the inner Oban Development Road has been reassessed and is not considered suitable for development. The need for and benefit of, both arms of the ODR require more work to fully justify retaining them as an aspiration. Current traffic management and capacity issues (including traffic flow and parking) in Oban town centre require comprehensive assessment and exploration of solutions including if and how they might relate to the ODR.

“However, there has been little progress with “I don’t see the need for the development road. It is pretty obvious they don’t need it for a development of any scale to go on. I can’t see people wanting to bypass Oban to go to Lochgilphead.”

Ian Dougall, 61, retired, Oban “They do need to do something about the traffic congestion problems in the town centre.

“But if they don’t have the money available for the project, then they have to take it out.”

Daniel Guy, 43, fisherman, Oban

this proposal to date and there is currently no funding identified to deliver the proposal so it is considered inappropriate to maintain it as an aspirational proposal.”

People were asked a “Disappointing. Anyone who lives in Oban knows we have to find a method by which people can get out of town from the south end without without having to go through the town centre.” Duncan Martin, 72, retired, Oban

“Landadjacent totheinnerOban Development Roadhasbeen reassessed”

“Let’s have a bit of ambition, keep the development road in and it might work. The silent majority want it to happen. It would alleviate the traffic flow through Oban.”

Campbell Cameron, 58, business owner, Benderloch

series of questions about specific aspects of the plan and invited to put a sticker under “yes” or “no”.

When asked: “Do you agree with the council’s preferred option to remove the development

road from the plan as it is a long term aspiration unlikely to be realised during the plan period (2020 – 2030), and does not release suitable development land,” five people had answered no, with no one agreeing.