Tuesday, March 29, 2005

A96: Nairn Suburban Community Council Meeting

Last night saw an initiative from the Suburban Community Council to launch a campaign for a dual-carriageway all the way from Inverness to Aberdeen. Their strategy is to urge all community councils along the route to campaign together and bring other groups and industry on board. The call is for more joined-up thinking and in a very professional presentation the council outlined some of the problems we face today and how effort needs to be made to avoid similar in the future. The failure to build the Dalcross air terminal close to the A96 and the Railway was cited as typical of mistakes according to the speakers from the Community Council. Mention was made of proposed housing developments between Nairn and Inverness and where the bypass-line should go. Members of the public and other councillors along the route were in the Community Centre tonight. It is hoped that those present will report back to their organisations and a further meeting will be held, perhaps in Elgin in the near future.
This was a very thought-provoking meeting and it was a treat to hear so much common-sense spoken, hopefully politicians and planners will be listening. Someone definitely listening to the concerns of our community was David Thompson, the prospective parliamentary candidate for the SNP in this constituency.

4 comments:

Nairn said...

I have to use local roads for my work (a triangle covering from Aberdeen, Thurso, to Fort William). An improvement of the A96, and indeed Inverness to Perth (A9) would be welcome by many drivers. But what would we get if the same monies where poured into public transport? and /or take away income tax and tax energy? Discuss!

Graisg said...

Do improved roads just get you to the next traffic jam a bit quicker? Look at all the motorway exits and entrances down south that now have traffic lights letting you on an off at peak periods.
All over Scotland and the UK communities want by-passes as more traffic hits the roads. We may have to face up to the fact that no matter how many roads we build there is no way out of the mess unless we use more buses and trains. If we have to have however many umpteen houses between Nairn and Inverness for example, could the authorities be brave enough to put in a series of tramlines comparable to the Manchester system?
There are other unpalatable questions about what we are all doing with our lives which have to be faced up to as well. That is not to say that the green lobby have the answers, just that the questions are wrong - just simply wrapped up in a consumerist reality. I felt that the meeting at the community centre was realistic about some of these issues.

Quico Ventalló said...

Aquest de la foto qui és?

Graisg said...

'S e sin Daibaidh MacThòais.