Dunkeld and Birnam Annual Walking Meeting

Next meeting 24th February 2024
Slow movement on increasing road safety and improving how we move around in our communities.
In February 2022 a walking meeting was held in and around Dunkeld and Birnam to explore issues related to how we move about our community, and road safety. Cohosted by Dunkeld and Birnam Community Council, this was well attended with a huge variety of issues raised. A report was produced, still available on The Bridge website, with over 30 potential actions and solutions identified. In the year following the meeting, one action was delivered – the provision of a disabled parking space outside the pharmacy.
A subsequent walking meeting was held exactly one year on in February 2023. This meeting was equally well attended, including by all our ward councillors, and John Swinney MSP. This meeting reviewed and refreshed that the actions outlined in the report from the previous year remained valid, but there was also agreement to focus on three principle and deliverable aims – some of which were described as ‘no-brainers’ during the meeting.
These three actions were:
Upgrading the zebra crossing to lights
Traffic lights and a road crossing at the school junction (as there is no pedestrian crossing on a stretch of road well over a mile long)
20mph through our settlements with related infrastructure to slow the flow of traffic
In addition there was agreement for speed monitoring data at key sites to be shared, and new monitoring to take place – results of this can be shared in future updates.
There was no action proposed on the three main actions above until a suggestion was made recently to the council that they could consider working with Scottish Gas Networks to deliver infrastructure changes at minimal disruption to the community. An answer from officials ensued following interventions from the leader of the council, Grant Laing. The official response subsequently received from PKC officers is produced (slightly edited as was an email) below:
In regard to Item (1) following the walk abouts this request was added to the Road Safety Priority List (RSPL) of which there are over 900 requests for road safety measures […] the request is currently sitting at number 728 on the list and at number 3 in the signal requests for Ward 5. However, at the 3 monthly RSPL meetings with the Ward 5 members [councillors] this project was identified as a priority by the members […] and as such a brief was issued to the Urban Traffic Control (UTC) team to take the project forward for delivery as and when funding and resources allow. It should be appreciated that there are 12 wards and all ward members have identified their local priorities. The UTC team are working on priorities in all 12 wards. A design brief was issued and the initial design work has started and it is intended to start the works as soon as possible following the completion of the SGN works. We are actively working with our contractor to see when this project can be added to the works programme and once we have an agreed start date we will advise […] of the programme date. Although it may have seemed on the face of it to be a good idea to carry out the upgrade work at the same time as SGN works this was not possible. It is intended to provide the new and upgraded crossing facility on a raised table to help reduce vehicle speeds on the southern side of the bridge. The proposed works are significant, will take time and they undoubtedly would have delayed the SGN works which could create contractual difficulties. It is much better to do these projects separately.
In regard to Item (2) following the walk abouts this request was added to the Road Safety Priority List
(RSPL) and […] the request is currently sitting at number 760 on the list and at number 6 in the signal requests for Ward 5. This is a major project and will require significant staff resource and funding to deliver it. It has not been identified as a ward priority by the ward members at the RSPL meetings so the focus of the UTC team is on other identified priorities. However, the Road Safety team do see it as a worthwhile project and are keen to deliver this project when funding and resources allow. Our intention would be to try and deliver this project next financial year using Cycling Walking Safer Routes grant funding depending on the allocation that we receive from the Scottish Government.
In regard to Item (3) Perth & Kinross Council, along with all other Scottish local authorities, are working with Transport Scotland on a 20mph national strategy. The proposal is to make 20mph the default speed limit on all unrestricted roads in urban areas. Basically, all residential streets will become 20mph. This would include all the streets in Birnam. However, Atholl Street and Boat Road in Dunkeld are restricted roads (A and B Class) so would not automatically be covered by the national strategy. We are in discussion with Transport Scotland about additional measures (funding and staff resources) that would be provided to help change the road environment of these main roads, and on some of the wider, faster side streets, that happen to pass through rural communities. It may be necessary to retain a 30mph limit on the periphery of some towns that lie along these key transport routes and focus a 20mph limit in the commercial core where there is a greater mix of road users. Until the 20mph national strategy has been concluded by Transport Scotland we will not be introducing any further 20mph speed limits in isolation as they could be superseded by the national directive.
It is proposed to hold the third annual walking meeting on 24 February 2024 – at which another audit of progress will take place. More details to follow in The Bridge and online. Perhaps at that meeting it could be explored how we can get beyond campaigns for piecemeal change, and can instead explore how work can link together in the community – for example associated with the conversation ongoing about access to the station – and whether one of our community bodies might be able to carry out something more strategic to unlock expertise and funds of the type and amount (potentially millions) available through schemes such as Sustrans’ Places for Everyone programme.
Graeme Cook – co-organiser of walking meetings Lachlan MacEwan, Chair Dunkeld and Birnam Community Council and co-organiser of walking meetings.

Dunkeld and Birnam Annual Walking Meeting

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