The next routine A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 1st February 2024, 7.30pm at Birnam Arts/ Zoom unless otherwise notified. All welcome!
We've put it back by a week as Thurs 25th January is Burns Night; and we might well be meeting sooner if as promised there has been an autumn Preferred Route announcement for Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing.
The Transport Minister Fiona Hyslop confirmed that this was still the intention when A9CG, Community Council and Junctions Action Group (JAG) representatives met with her and Transport Scotland officials at Birnam Arts on 8th November.
Overall the meeting was worthwhile and quite informative, with JAG issues (See Page 20 for an update from our Junctions Action Group ‘JAG’) being taken first and then the dualling programme. The Minister herself – whom we had sent the summary “The Story so Far” (see July/Aug 2023 Bridge) – had done homework, was a good and good humoured listener, asked clear questions, gave officials time to speak and made sure that those of us who wanted to speak were able to do so.
As regards a Preferred Route decision, while the Minister made it clear that this was her's to make (“not a co-creative decision”) she did acknowledge that “how to navigate” regarding appropriate community engagement is important , particularly if there are aspects of that decision which may be at variance with the Community Preferred Route voted for in 2018. She said that both technical and financial considerations would play a part and was keen to get an understanding of why the community wanted particular design options – particularly it seemed in respect of the lowering of the A9 so that Station Road can reconnect with the Station.
The Minister was acquainted with some key points such as high community preference both for some length of tunnel/underpass and against having a high retaining wall or viaduct at Dunkeld junction, and the issue that only one method of tunnel build had been presented during the co-creative process. It was stressed that all possible design options over the whole stretch were examined closely together during the series of workshops in late 2019/early 2020 and that Transport Scotland/Jacobs were clear that all of the design options chosen for the Community Preferred Route could be delivered. It was also stressed that with dualling of Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing still years away, putting more interim safety measures at all points along the stretch is of the highest importance.
We will have discussed all this and more and next steps at the A9CG meeting on 30th November.
As always you can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com, and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list;
Also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie,
Coordinator 01350 727361
The latest Information from Transport Scotland (May 2019 for PoB to TC!) is at:
https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/significant-milestone-as-four-more-a9-dualling-schemes-given-approval
https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 30th November, 7.30pm at Birnam Arts/ Zoom unless otherwise notified.
All welcome!
We now expect that we and JAG will meet Transport Minister Fiona Hyslop on 8th November, and we await an update from Transport Scotland about the expected timing of a Preferred Route announcement (and related community engagement) for Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing.
As always you can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com, and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list;
Also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie,
Coordinator 01350 727361
The latest Information from Transport Scotland (May 2019 for PoB to TC!) is at:
https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/significant-milestone-as-four-more-a9-dualling-schemes-given-approval
https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 30th November, 7.30pm at Birnam Arts/ Zoom unless otherwise notified. All welcome!
We were expecting that we would be getting a visit from (another!) new Transport Minister Fiona Hyslop in late September, but have been told that there is a now a proposed date of 8th November for a visit by new Cabinet Secretary (for Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition) Mairi McAllan.
Although a chance to brief the new Cabinet Secretary is welcome, it's very disappointing to have this delay and not to meet the Transport Minister just now. We have asked John Swinney MSP to see if an earlier meeting can be set up. It also implies - though we cannot be sure - that there will not be any Preferred Route announcement (and related community engagement) for Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing until November at least. Another year...
Meanwhile on the overall A9 dualling front there has been a good deal of publicity this summer – in particular led by campaigner Laura Hansler of the A9 Dual Action Group about the delays in going ahead with dualling all of the sections north of us which have been signed off as ready to go (including, in our area, Tay Crossing to Ballinluig, in March 2021) . Her petition to the Scottish Parliament's Public Petitions Committee on the matter has now been upgraded by the committee to a formal committee enquiry. www.facebook.com/groups/553744776511956/
On the local junctions safety front Pam Green of the Junctions Action Group wrote again to Transport Scotland on 7th Sept to request an update on the matters discussed at our meeting with the then Transport Minister Kevin Stewart MSP and officials on 5th June, in particular regarding the assessments that have been undertaken using information gathered from the temporary cameras that were installed at the Dunkeld junction over the Easter weekend, now 6 months ago.
The next Junctions Action Group meeting will be on Wed 4th Oct, 11am at Birnam Arts.
As always you can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com, and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list;
Also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie,
Coordinator 01350 727361
The latest Information from Transport Scotland (May 2019 for PoB to TC!) is at:
https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/significant-milestone-as-four-more-a9-dualling-schemes-given-approval
https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 28th September, 7.30pm at Birnam Arts/ Zoom unless otherwise notified. All welcome!
As planned for some time, we have prepared a “Story so Far” brief history of our A9 dualling engagement since 2016.
Well, the best laid plans......We and Junctions Action Group (JAG) did have a briefing meeting with Kevin Stewart MSP, Transport Minister, on 5th June, along with some Transport Scotland officials . It was quite useful but he then resigned so we await an opportunity to brief his successor Fiona Hyslop MSP, or indeed the new Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition Mairi McAllan MSP. We are grateful as always to John Swinney MSP for helping arrange such briefings and for his continuing support.
I reported on that meeting at our AGM on 8th June, attended by 7 people, plus Ian Martin from Jacobs, with 3 apologies. Perhaps fatigue is getting to everyone.....
The Coordinator summarised the key points from the year, as detailed in our monthly reports in “Bridge” (see link below). It was a period:
– of continued frustration at not getting any useful updates,and lack of transparency,from Transport Scotland, though Jacobs did advise on periodic survey works
– of two more changes of Transport Minister and one of Cabinet Secretary – just before that change there was an email to us expecting that a preferred route for Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing would be announced “by this spring” (which has not happened), and also an announcement in Parliament that the 2025 A9 Perth to Inverness dualling target was not now achievable (no surprise there, as we, JAG and the Community Council stated to the press);
– of further meetings with and facilitated by John Swinney MSP, most importantly, and sadly, after the increase in fatal accidents on our stretch of the A9, followed by increased pressure from JAG as regards interim safety measures – see their separate report in this Bridge.
The Treasurer reported a balance of £ 2878.27 at end March. Expenditure during the financial year was £487.76, partly on meeting rooms and partly on Zoom meeting licences for two years. During the year the A9CG agreed to hold funds on behalf of the Junctions Action Group to save them having to formally constitute and have a separate bank account. There was £214.00 in that fund on 8th June.
The following office bearers agreed to continue and were re-elected: Coordinator: Alasdair Wylie, Depute Coordinator: Mike Wolfe, Treasurer: Garth Ponsonby,
Secretary : Sophie Cade.
Also see Birnam and Dunkeld Junctions Action Group (JAG).
We hope you all have a good and safe summer!
____________________________________________________________________________
As always you can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com, and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list;
Also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie,
Coordinator 01350 727361
The latest Information from Transport Scotland (May 2019 for PoB to TC!) is at:
https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/significant-milestone-as-four-more-a9-dualling-schemes-given-approval
https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-
The next A9 Community Group meeting, and our AGM, will be on Thursday 8th June, 7.30pm at Birnam Arts/ Zoom unless otherwise notified. All welcome!
We're glad to report that Kevin Stewart MSP the new Transport Minister will be coming to Birnam for a visit on 5th June to discuss the A9 dualling plans for Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing - as we have done with three of his predecessors since 2017 – and to learn about the Community Preferred Route voted for in 2018. We hope he will provide some definite advice about when Transport Scotland (TS) will meet with the community again, and we also expect that that he will discuss the interim safety measures on which TS has been working along this stretch of the A9 as well as those which the Birnam and Dunkeld Junctions Action Group is still requesting.
One of those, a roundabout at Dunkeld junction, was the subject of a motion by Strathtay Ward Councillors and discussion at the May meeting of Perth and Kinross Council. The interest of the Council is to be welcomed and will be followed up.
As always you can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com, and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list;
Also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie,
Coordinator 01350 727361
The latest Information from Transport Scotland (May 2019 for PoB to TC!) is at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/significant-milestone-as-four-more-a9-dualling-schemes-given-approval
https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 25th May, 7.30pm at Birnam Arts/ Zoom unless otherwise notified, or unless events require one sooner. All welcome!
Since our last report was written Kevin Stewart MSP has been appointed Transport Minister, the fourth in three years. He previously has held ministerial positions for Local Government, Housing and Planning; and for mental Wellbeing and Social Care. The full list of his responsibilities is here:
https://www.cpt-uk.org/news/kevin-stewart-msp-appointed-as-minister-for-transport/
He reports to Mairi McAllan MSP, the new Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Just Transition, although Transport does not appear in her title as it did for her predecessor Michael Matheson MSP.
The last communication we had from Mr Matheson, in early March, had included: ”I can confirm that we remain committed to completing the dualling of the A9 between Perth and Inverness. This was further reiterated by the Minister for Transport in her statement to Parliament on 8th February.
As I confirmed to Parliament on 19th January 2023, work is ongoing to identify a Preferred Route option on the section of the A9 between Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing following the innovative co-creative process, with an announcement on the Preferred Route option expected to be made in the coming months. (note, no mention of Community Preferred Route).
I value the on-going positive engagement with the Community Group and I am aware that Transport Scotland officials provided both verbal and written updates to you recently in October and December 2022 respectively. I expect to be in a position to announce a Preferred Route option by this Spring and I would like to take this opportunity to reassure you that the Scottish Government will continue to engage with the group as the project progresses. I hope this is of assistance.”
At the time of writing (mid April), we've had no further information from Transport Scotland about a possible community engagement event in May.
We hope to have a briefing me eting with the new Transport Minister and are grateful to John Swinney MSP for Perthshire North who has written to him requesting a formal meeting with us. We hope he will have had a response from Kevin Stewart by the time you read this.
As always you can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com, and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list;
Also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie,
Coordinator 01350 727361
The latest Information from Transport Scotland (May 2019 for PoB to TC!) is at:
https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/significant-milestone-as-four-more-a9-dualling-schemes-given-approval
https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-
Please see our Facebook page or the website for details on our next meeting date. All welcome!
As always you can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com, and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list;
Also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie,
Coordinator 01350 727361
The latest Information from Transport Scotland (May 2019 for PoB to TC!) is at:
https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/significant-milestone-as-four-more-a9-dualling-schemes-given-approval
https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 23rd March, 7.30pm at Birnam Arts / Zoom unless otherwise notified, or unless events require one sooner. All welcome!
We wrote to Cabinet Secretary Michael Matheson MSP in January requesting an urgent meeting and at the time of writing this (mid Feb) had received a formal acknowledgement but nothing more.
The Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth MSP's announcement in parliament on 8th Feb that the 2025 target for completing the Perth to Inverness A9 dualling is not now achievable will have surprised few people here. See the joint statement we gave to the press in the Junctions Action Group piece elsewhere in this issue.
What is of most interest is her statement that:
“Ministerial decisions to complete the statutory process have been confirmed for eight of the nine remaining projects. That covers more than 92 per cent of the length to be dualled. For the one remaining section, we are continuing to progress with the Pass of Birnam to Tay crossing project and to identify a preferred route option following an innovative co-creative process with the local community. An announcement on the preferred route there will be made this spring.”
That's still quite general but is a bit more specific than the “in the coming months” we've been fed for quite some time. We shall discuss with Transport Scotland what community engagement measures they envisage in connection with that. There are informal indications that they may be preparing for an event at Birnam Arts at the end of May.
If there are significant developments by the time you read this we will have emailed everyone on our mailing list. Contact details below.
We continue to work on an update of “The Story so Far” which we now hope will appear in the April Bridge.
As always you can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com, and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list;
Also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie,
Coordinator 01350 727361
The latest Information from Transport Scotland (May 2019 for PoB to TC!) is at:
https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/significant-milestone-as-four-more-a9-dualling-schemes-given-approval
https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-
"No-one in the Dunkeld and Birnam area will be surprised by this announcement, but it makes even more urgent the meeting with Cabinet Secretary Michael Matheson to discuss the dualling programme, which we requested recently, given the already intolerable delay in deciding on a preferred route for Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing.
Our community now believes that the A9 will not be dualled past Dunkeld and Birnam in the foreseeable future. The priority for our community is to be able join and cross the busy A9 without putting ourselves and other travellers at risk. This requires safe and effective junctions to be built and we no longer accept that the creation of these junctions should be linked to the dualling project.
The recent safety improvement measures announced by the Transport Secretary are welcome but much more is needed to make this A9 section as safe as possible as soon as possible".
Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group
Birnam and Dunkeld Junctions Action Group
09 Feb 2023
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 23rd March, 7.30pm at Birnam Arts / Zoom unless otherwise notified, or unless events require one sooner. All welcome!
At our November meeting, it was agreed to:
– write again to Michael Matheson, Cabinet Secretary, to request an urgent meeting to define a timeline for a decision on the dualing proposals for Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing, in the light of the continued and unacceptable lack of communication by Transport Scotland about a decision making timeline.
– Consider how best to frame an appropriate Freedom of Information request to better understand the delays in decision making.
– work on an update of the “The Story So Far” presentation to reflect recent history and to circulate it, especially for the benefit of those new to the community since the Co-Creative process in 2018, and to consider a full-page update summary in The Bridge.
In mid December we received a further message from Jacobs about survey work:
“We will likely have ecologists on site over the next two weeks, weather dependant, undertaking winter ecology surveys in the locality of Dunkeld and Birnam.The surveys will be largely focussed on bird and bat activity and will continue through January and February 2023. Landowners and property owners affected by these surveys will be contacted in accordance with relevant guidance and legislation”.
As far as the dualling of theTay Crossing to Ballinluig section ** goes ( and others farther north), TS advised just before Christmas as follows:
“Work to determine the most suitable procurement options for these sections of the A9 dualling is ongoing. This is a complex exercise which looks at a number of factors including how the project can be delivered most efficiently by the industry, whilst minimising disruption to road users and helping to support economic recovery post-COVID. As part of this exercise, in light of recent fluctuations in the economic environment, work is also underway to assess the impact of market changes on the potential procurement approaches available.“
** see the first TS link below
As always you can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com, and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list;
Also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie,
Coordinator 01350 727361
The latest Information from Transport Scotland (May 2019 for PoB to TC!) is at:
https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/significant-milestone-as-four-more-a9-dualling-schemes-given-approval
https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 26th January 2023, 7.30pm at Birnam Arts/ Zoom unless otherwise notified. All welcome!
This edition's Junctions Action Group (JAG) report /update covers a lot of the recent correspondence and meetings. To add some points specific to the dualling programme.
At the 31st October meeting which John Swinney MSP chaired:
• A representative of the TS dualling team did attend, but could say no more than that they would be making recommendations for Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing to Ministers in a matter of months. Lachlan MacEwan, Chair of the Community Council, pointed out that they had been saying this for years and that here was now a serious issue of credibility and lack of trust where previously there had been a very close working relationship between the community and TS.
•We asked why TS dualling officials appeared to have been talking to the press about their likely recommendations (Courier online 28th October ) ; the response was that they had not and that all but one quote ( the statement above) were in fact taken from earlier consultation exhibition display materials on their website.
•We also asked for some clarity about how much funding was now available for this section, from the amounts shown for major transport infrastructure in the Scottish Government's Resource Spending Review published in May. It is clear that in the present economic situation this is getting more difficult to determine by the week, even in relation to the reduced roads budget announced by SG in June.* The key point here is, if there is less money than was expected at the time of the Co-Creative
process in 2018, what should be the priorities for investing in interim safety improvement measures, particularly where there have been recent fatalities and where risks are highest?
• https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-61728712.amp
A fresh Courier article on 17th November based on interviews with Alison Bryden and Alasdair Wylie of the A9 Community Group focused largely on the the issue of a roundabout at Dunkeld junction, both as an element of the Community Preferred Route voted for in the Co Creative process and as a needed near term interim measure, making clear the A9 CGs support for the JAG's call for this and other safety measures to be implemented as soon as possible.
https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/business-environment/transport/3883030/why-dunkeld-residents-want-a-roundabout-on-the-a9-now/
Among the matters discussed at our recent CG monthly meetings were:
• the need to get more publicity about the message – dualling is not going to happen any time soon and making the case that actions are needed and possible meanwhile to make the road as safe as possible without dualling; letters to papers (as JAG discussed too), articles with journalists etc
• updated briefings for local Councillors, and fresh engagement with Perth and Kinross Council Roads Dept, whose roads connect with the A9 and get massively stretched when A9 accident related diversions have to be put in place
• look into having/ upgrading our own web page, as has been done by a new action group further north
Possibly in a new spirit of communication, we heard from Alan Blair, Jacob's senior officer for their A9 related design contract from TS (believed to run to 2026) on 6th November, as follows: “I am emailing you to make you aware that a Jacobs sub-contractor is undertaking work within the River Tay in the vicinity of the River Tay crossing.
The work is to complete a bathymetric survey of the river, which will inform future stages of design and assessment. The work is expected to be completed this week, subject to water and weather conditions.“
Let us see!
NB: See the Junctions Action Group.
As always you can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com, and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list;
Also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
The latest Information from Transport Scotland is at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-to-tay-crossing/
https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-tay-crossing-to-ballinluig/project-details/
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 24th November, 7.30pm at Birnam Arts/ Zoom unless otherwise notified. All welcome!
As described in the Junctions Action Group report here, we took part in an urgent meeting with John Swinney MSP following further A9 fatalities in early October, this time on the Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing section.( We'll have prepared for the meeting John Swinney then arranged with Transport Scotland officials - from both the dualling and roads operations teams - at our October Community Group meeting.)
The day before I had been called by Andy Anderson of the A9 dualling team and told that they would be making preferred route recommendations for this section to Ministers “in some months”. Cabinet Secretary Michael Matheson then wrote to John Swinney on 18th October responding to various junctions related issues raised earlier this year, and also advising “In relation to the A9 Dualling Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing scheme, it still remains our intention to announce a preferred route for this section of the A9 Dualling Programme in the coming months. I can confirm that my officials have been in touch with the Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group to provide an update on the scheme and I would like to reassure you that we will continue to engage with the group as the project progresses.“
“Continue to engage” is a curious way to describe the almost complete absence of engagement with us by TS since early 2020, but let 's see.
As always you can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com, and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list;
Also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
The latest Information from Transport Scotland is at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-to-tay-crossing/
https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-tay-crossing-to-ballinluig/project-details/
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 27th October, 7.30pm at Birnam Arts/ Zoom unless otherwise notified. All welcome!
Further to the update in the September Bridge (see link below), as I write I'm hoping very much that we'll have had some update from Scottish Government and/or Transport Scotland by the time of our September monthly meet.
We understand that the Junctions Action Group is also still waiting for a contact from TS as promised by the Cabinet Secretary.
Meanwhile there has been another reminder of the dangers on existing single carriageway sections of the A9 with the recent accident north of the Jubilee Bridge involving several vehicles, a fatality and several injuries. The dualling of this section (Tay Crossing to Ballinluig) was given the go ahead by Scottish Ministers in March 2021, 18 months ago, and the “Made Road Order and Compulsory Purchase Order” were made in October 2021. We are seeking urgent advice from TS as to when they will be starting the dualling work on that section.
As always you can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com, and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list;
Also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
The latest Information from Transport Scotland is at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-to-tay-crossing/
https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-tay-crossing-to-ballinluig/project-details/
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 29th September, 7.30pm at Birnam Arts/ Zoom unless otherwise notified. All welcome!
We are very sad to report the death of Angus Hardie - Hari to all his many friends here. There is an obituary elsewhere in this Bridge and there will be a community event to celebrate his life on 10th September. Among his many interests Hari was an active member of the original Community Council A9 dualling working group and then the A9 Community Group in its early years and through the co-creative process. He will be sorely missed.
In July we received a letter from Michael Matheson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport, advising that he is responsible for overseeing the dualling planning for Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing.
In early August there was a further meeting with John Swinney MSP, because there had been no further information on A9 dualling progress since the last meeting with him (in January), still no indication of a decision, and the local community were very concerned at the lack of any progress. It had been more than 12 months now since there had been anything forthcoming from government. He had no further information, but undertook to write to Michael Matheson on the issue.
The question was raised of any interim action at junctions such as Dunkeld, Birnam, and also Dalguise where there appeared to be some engineering work taking place.
Traffic appeared to have speeded up, and there were also less gaps in traffic, making it more difficult for local traffic to get onto or across the A9. A recent letter from the Cabinet Secretary to the Junctions Action Group (JAG) had mentioned that roundabouts, traffic signals and lower speeds had been considered by engineers, and had indicated that the configuration details for a roundabout were difficult and would take time and need land. It had not however gone into details about why traffic signals could not be provided. Separately, the provision of junction lighting had been suggested as a possibility, but nothing had been heard about this. There had also been a suggestion from JAG for CCTV cameras to see if there was indeed a greater accident risk now, but again nothing had been heard about this.
John Swinney said he thought that a roundabout should be possible on an interim basis within the current land available and would seek further comments from the Cabinet Secretary on this and the other aspects.
He was also asked if the A9 dualling scheme is still a project which has full government support, given that a different course now appears to be going ahead on the A96 (Inverness- Aberdeen) scheme. He confirmed that the A9 scheme was still intended to be fully dualled throughout, and that the circumstances for the A96 were different.
The issue was raised of getting full and proper road access to the station, still a high priority for both villages, as was raising the station platforms. It was disappointing that no progress had been made given that the Cabinet Secretary himself as well as Graeme Dey the last Transport Minister had seen the issues for themselves. John Swinney said he was fully aware of both issues but that there were significant difficulties which needed resolving. Work was still taking place on the road access question, and he thought that some lowering of the A9 was a possible outcome. On the question of platform heights he said that some investigation had taken place, but that the listed status of the building was still an issue. raised height. It was put to him that it should be relatively straightforward to overcome such difficulties. e.g. applying for varied listed status, and he said he would include reference to these matters in writing to the Cabinet Secretary.
We still intend to write to Michael Matheson, as agreed at the June A9 Community Group meeting, to emphasise how frustrating and energy sapping it is for the community to continue to not know whats happening as regards a Preferred Route decision - or even what progress towards that has been made , as it is over a year since Graeme Dey met us here.
As always you can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com, and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list;
Also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
Our page on "The Bridge" website, including key documents for download is: http://www.dunkeldandbirnamnews.co.uk/community-council/a9-dualling
The latest Information from Transport Scotland is at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-to-tay-crossing/
https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-tay-crossing-to-ballinluig/project-details/
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 25th August, 7.30pm at Birnam Arts/ Zoom unless otherwise notified. All welcome!
The 2022 AGM was held on 26th May, with 8 attendees and 11 apologies.
The Coordinator reviewed the main developments since the 2021 AGM all of which have been reported in our monthly piece in “Bridge”. Little of substance has changed in a year, when we reported on two things of note : First, a statement from TS saying that design work was continuing and they expected to share a preferred route proposal later in 2021. That was actually the last substantive statement we’ve had from them.
And second, there was a new Transport Minister, Graeme Dey MSP. We got him here for a briefing visit with John Swinney MSP, Jacobs and TS last July but heard nothing back from him before he stood down and was replaced by Jenny Gilruth,MSP early this year. We hope she will join us for a briefing. We met John Swinney this March to pursue this and the question of separating from the clearly delayed dualling project the priority issues of improvement actions at the junctions – recognising that some progress had been achieved by the Junctions Action Group (JAG) – and at the station.
The Coordinator noted that strong feelings had emerged during the Community Action Planning process last year about need to finalise the dualling planning.
He again thanked all who have attended the monthly Community Group meetings, and who have otherwise been in touch, and in particular the Core Group members for their involvement and support.
The Treasurer’s report showed an end year balance of £ 3366, the only spend being on the zoom account and room hire, This is all from the Council’s Community Investment Fund grant (from 2019), for community engagement, and it was agreed to make another microgrant application to DBCC to keep us going for basic costs.
Norman Grieve took the chair and the following office bearers were re-elected: Coordinator – Alasdair Wylie, Deputy Coordinator – Mike Wolfe, Secretary – Sophie Cade and Treasurer – Garth Ponsonby. He thanked everyone for looking after the Group over the last year. Even though nothing really has happened on the dualling it’s important that the Group exists and is ready for when something does.
Date of next AGM: 25th May 2023
As always you can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com, and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list;
Also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
The latest Information from Transport Scotland is at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-to-taycrossing/
https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-tay-crossing-to-ballinluig/project-details/
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 28th April at Birnam Arts and by Zoom, 730pm, unless otherwise notified. All welcome!
At the February A9CG meeting the Coordinator reported on an update briefing that he had with John Swinney MSP, accompanied by Core Group members Garth Ponsonby and Lachlan MacEwan (also as new Chair of the D and B Community Council), on three important topics:
1. Briefing the new Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth MSP: It was agreed that it‘s important to try and get her here for a briefing, so that she can get familiar with the local situation and issues, to follow up on the visit by her predecessor last July, and ideally before a decision is taken about “Preferred Route” for Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing. Still no update from Transport Scotland (TS) on this – but hoping there is progress by the time you read this. We are extending an invitation directly to Jenny Gilruth.
2. Priority for Safer Junctions: It was also agreed that meanwhile more needs to be done to make the junctions safer, particularly in terms of improving lighting and consideration of physical engineering change; and that any further time needed to reach a decision on the “Preferred Route” for dualling should not get in the way of implementing measures to improve safety and minimise risks at the junctions near term.( Not just Birnam and Dunkeld, but also Hermitage entrance and Dalguise road junction)
The Junctions Action Group (JAG) has played an important part in getting some action from TS at Dunkeld Junction, and everyone on the A9CG mailing list should now have received Pam Green’s correspondence with TS. If you would like to go on the JAG emailing list to get this directly, and/or to be involved in JAG’s efforts, please contact Pam at pammgreen@btinetrnet.com
3. Improvements at D and B Station: It was agreed that action on this, in particular as regards the (lack of!) platform height is too long overdue and that there is definitely no reason why action need await a dualling decision. (We are also waiting to find out more about a contract that Jacobs is understood to have, to do with the Station.)
At the February CG meeting we also received an update on the PH8 Community Action Plan (CAP) download the CAP. Travel and road safety issues are a major theme in this, and we discussed the need to document near misses/incidents which often are not officially recorded. If you have thoughts on this or anything related to the CAP, please contact Sophie Cade, PH8 Project Coordinator at ph8communitymatters@gmail.com
A couple of other matters discussed, looking ahead to the “DMRB3” A9 design stage of Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing, once “Preferred Route” is agreed were noise mitigation measures and the future role of the Community Group itself; how best can we represent the community at the next design stage and indeed at eventual construction stage?
A reminder that the Scottish Government and COSLA have a consultation on reduction of car use by 20% , open until 6 April 2022.
https://www.transport.gov.scot/consultation/consultation-on-the-20-reduction-in-car-km-route-map/
As always you can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com, and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list;
Also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
The latest Information from Transport Scotland is at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-to-tay-crossing/
https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-tay-crossing-to-ballinluig/project-details/
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 31st March 2022 at Birnam Arts and by Zoom, at 7.30pm unless otherwise notified. All welcome!
Since our last CG meeting in October, Transport Minister Graeme Dey, whom we briefed last July, has unfortunately had to resign for health reasons.
We are waiting to hear when his successor, Jenny Gilruth MSP, will be able to come for a visit so that she can get familiar with the design issues and options for Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing, in the context of the Community Preferred Route.
It is ever more clear that, meanwhile, there is a strong case for pressing ahead for interim improvements at all of the junctions on this stretch of the A9. Safety risks persist at all of them (recognising the recent road markings and surface lighting improvements at Dunkeld junction following pressure on TS by the Junctions Action Group).
Indeed, during the last two summers they have worsened at Dunkeld Junction: with increased visitor traffic the tailbacks of vehicles waiting to turn north have got much worse, as has the difficulty of crossing the A9 from the Strathbraan side to get to Dunkeld. Nighttime safety issues persist at Birnam junction in particular, for traffic coming north at night seeking to turn right into Birnam.
We hope very much that the new Transport Minister will take a fresh and urgent look at these issues as well as at the need to progress improvements at the station, starting with the platform heights, which do not need to wait for A9 dualling decisions.
And a reminder that the Scottish Government and COSLA have recently launched the consultation on reduction of car use by 20% .It is open until 6 April 2022.
https://www.transport.gov.scot/consultation/consultation-on-the-20-reduction-in-car-km-route-map/
Apart from individuals who’d like to respond, the A9 Community Group will provide a forum for discussion of this and any related government and/or local authority initiatives.
As always you can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com, and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list;
Also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group.
Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
Our page on "The Bridge" website, including key documents for download is:
The latest Information from Transport Scotland is at:
https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-to-tay-crossing/
https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-tay-crossing-to-ballinluig/project-details
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 24th February 2022 at Birnam Arts and by Zoom, at 7.30pm unless otherwise notified. All welcome!
We hope that you’ve all had an enjoyable Christmas/Midwinter festivity and a good start to 2022, in these still uncertain times. Apologies for any inconvenience because of the very late call-off of the scheduled end November CG meeting.
Update from Transport Scotland on Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing
Further to our report in the Dec/Jan Bridge, we pressed TS again for a more informative update and were told that there would be nothing to say before the new year. This remains frustrating to say the least!
Dunkeld Junction upgrade works
The improvements made at the junction late last year are a step in the right direction but still leave unaddressed issues. Credit to Pam Green and the Junctions Action Group for getting action by TS. It is to be hoped that there is more to come including improvements at the Birnam and Dalguise junctions. JAG will give an update in the next Bridge.
New consultation on “Route Map” to reduce car use by 20%
Not unrelated to roads planning, the Scottish Government and COSLA have recently launched this consultation.
https://www.transport.gov.scot/consultation/consultation-on-the-20-reduction-in-car-km-route-map/
Apart from individuals who’d like to respond, the A9 Community Group will provide a forum for discussion of this and any related government and/or local authority initiatives.
As always you can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com, and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list;
Also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group.
Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
The latest Information from Transport Scotland is at:
https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-to-tay-crossing/
https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-tay-crossing-to-ballinluig/project-details/
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 27th January 2022 at Birnam Arts and by Zoom, at 7.30pm unless otherwise notified.
All welcome then, and before that we hope that everyone has an enjoyable Christmas and Hogmanay!
The end October CG meeting was held for the first time since early 2020 at Birnam Arts, also with Zoom participation – this worked well! We considered the following from Gordon Ramsay of Transport Scotland (TS), regarding the A9 dualling plans from Pass of Birnam to Tay Crosssing: “In terms of an update I can advise that the Minister for Transport, Mr Dey, has taken a keen interest in this project. Over the past few months we have had meetings with the Minister to discuss the project including the Co-creative Process, community feedback and the options currently being assessed.”
We had really hoped for rather more than this as it was 3 months since the Minister visited for briefing and hope that by the time you are reading this something more specific will be available. It was felt that it is time to put more pressure on TS in light of the PH8 Community Survey/Action Plan, the report of which due to be published in the near future. It will show that the community is concerned about the lack of certainty with regard to the A9
dualling plans, having a detrimental effect on people and businesses.
It was reported that ecologist surveyors from SEPA had been doing A9 related investigations , though without any prior notification to residents.
We also discussed of the correspondence between the Junctions Action Group and TS about interim safety improvement measures at both the Dunkeld and Birnam junctions .(Some works at Dunkeld junction did in fact start in mid November). The need to engage with Perth and Kinross Council as well as TS was again noted, particularly on the issue of widening the turning lanes onto the A9 coming from Dunkeld.
As always you can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com, and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list; Also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group.
Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
The latest Information from Transport Scotland is at:
https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/significant-milestone-as-four-more-a9-dualling-schemes-given-approval
https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-to-tay-crossing/
The next A9 Community Group meeting, and AGM, will be on Thursday 28th October. All welcome!
We have a poll out at the moment to see if people would prefer to go back to in person meetings or stick with Zoom – please let us know your preference by visiting https://doodle.com/poll/c67pc5xb4xfqdcw6?utmsource=poll&utmmedium=link, or click the link on our Facebook page.
Following on from our September Community Group meeting, where we had an interesting discussion of the Transport Minister Graeme Dey’s visit to the village in the summer; our current understanding is that we will be notified of the Ministerial preferred route decision after it has been made, i.e. at the same time a public announcement is made. While there has been lots of attention in the media on the A96 dualling project, there has been relatively little mention of the A9 since the SNP/Green Party alliance was formed last month. We do not yet know if this will have an impact on timescales and decisions for our stretch of dualling. We do however expect to be informed by Transport Scotland in good time about what kind of community engagement event they will arrange in connection with the Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing preferred route announcement.
It has become clear though during the summer, that Jacobs have been asked to look at work for improvements to Dunkeld and Birnam railway station. A letter has been drafted to enquire about the scope of the current Jacobs contract in relation to the station – currently being review by the Community Council. Jacobs engineers have been seen recently performing bat surveys at the Station and residential properties immediately adjacent to the A9.
Dualling has now completed on the Luncarty section of the A9 and the road is open.
Observations from the group at our last meeting highlighted that the aesthetic of the constructed road is common to all other sections of dual carriageway in the UK and wouldn’t be in keeping with the local area here.
As always you can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com, and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list.
Also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group.
Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
Information from TS is available at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-ofbirnam-to-tay-crossing/
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 26th August, by Zoom unless otherwise notified. All welcome!
The 2021 AGM was held on 24th June. The Coordinator reviewed the main developments since the 2020 AGM last August, all of which have been reported in our monthly piece in “Bridge”.
We still await definite advice from Transport Scotland about the timescale for completion of the Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing Stage 2 design work and renewed engagement with the community, expected later this year. Meanwhile we hope to have the opportunity to brief the new Transport Minister here if and when a visit can be arranged.
The Coordinator thanked all who have attended the monthly Community Group meetings, and who have otherwise been in touch, and in particular the Core Group members for their involvement and support. The following office bearers were reelected:
Coordinator – Alasdair Wylie, Deputy Coordinator – Mike Wolfe, Secretary – Sophie Cade and Treasurer – Garth Ponsonby.
Following the AGM there was a useful discussion about the exchange of correspondence that the new Junctions Action Group has had with Transport Scotland, and a welcome report from Andrew Cave of the Community Council about other roads and safety related issues in the community on which they are dealing with Perth and Kinross Council. 
Photo: Tailbacks on the A9 junction.
As always you can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com, and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list;
Also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group.
Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
The latest Information from Transport Scotland is at:
https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/significant-milestone-as-four-more-a9-dualling-schemes-given-approval
https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-to-tay-crossing/
The next A9 Community Group meeting, and AGM, will be on Thursday 24th June, by Zoom unless otherwise notified. All welcome!
(Sorry about any inconvenience by the cancellation of the 27th May meeting)
Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing – resumption of survey work
On 12th May we received the following from Jacobs:
Dear Mr Wylie,
We write to you to inform you that Transport Scotland and Jacobs intend to recommence some limited site work within the Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing section of the A9. This essential work will begin on 17th May 2021 and will initially consist of environmental and ecological surveys, which will inform the ongoing design development of the A9 Dualling Programme.
We have been contacting those people whose land the surveyors may need access to and all work will be undertaken following current Scottish Government advice regarding COVID-19, ensuring the safety of local residents and our staff.
I trust this provides you with sufficient detail should any local residents ask you about the surveys. However, if you have any questions, please contact me at the number below.
Thank you,
Ian Martin A9 Pass of Birnam to Glen Garry - Stakeholder Manager
Jacobs UK Limited | 07740 676201 | Ian.Martin@jacobs.com | www.jacobs.com
Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing – design work
The latest (March) news release from Transport Scotland said:
“The design work for the remaining scheme between Pass of Birnam and Tay Crossing is continuing following the co-creative process with the local community and we expect to share the preferred option for this stretch of the route with communities and road users, later this year.”
The same release said that TS is “engaging with industry representatives to ensure that the remainder of the programme…… is delivered effectively and efficiently. This engagement will balance the considerable benefits of the programme against financial risk and any impacts on local communities. We expect this process to conclude in summer 2021.”
https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/significant-milestone-as-four-more-a9-dualling-schemes-given-approval
There has also been press and road industry comment about a possible stretching of the completion target for the whole Perth-Inverness scheme from 2025 to 2030, and whether under conventional cost/benefit criteria the A9 dualling would be justified at all; at any rate it is clear that financial criteria are now on the table alongside political and technical.
We don’t yet know any more from TS about the new benefit/cost analysis but aim to find out as it will be important to establish that it includes, in particular:
- the potentially positive community impacts referred to in our “Community Objectives” which fed into the Co-Creative process (see downloads under our Bridge website page, link below)
- environmental impact factors, particularly because a full Environmental Impact Analysis was not done earlier in the project.
April A9 CG meeting
Points discussed included:
- relating to the approach to TS from the new Junctions Group (see May Bridge), to find out if TS/Jacobs did do a risk assessment regarding their staff use of the Dunkeld junction
- follow up with Transform Scotland about a question on the D and B Station issues put to the Transport Secretary during their recent meeting
- postponing the next meeting (and the AGM) to June, unless something substantial arises which requires a May meeting
As always you can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com, and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list;
Also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group.
Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
Information from TS is available at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-to-tay-crossing/
The next A9 Community Group meetings will be on Thursday 27th May (also our AGM) and Thursday 24th June, by Zoom unless otherwise notified. All welcome!
The March A9 Community Group Meeting had a further discussion about the pressing need for interim safety measures at the Birnam and Dunkeld junctions and in particular the need to engage more with Perth and Kinross Council via the Community Council on this matter. Since then a new Junctions Action Group has been set up and has written to MSPs. The A9 Community Group and the Community Council are represented on it – see report of its first meeting in this Bridge.
The meeting also discussed the need to take up with Perth and Kinross Council the issue of the extra traffic expected through Dunkeld, including HGVs, when the new Rotmell junction on the Tay Crossing to Ballinluig section is built.
The full report of the A9 Tay Crossing to Ballinluig enquiry is here:
https://www.dpea.scotland.gov.uk/CaseDetails.aspx?ID=120311
The latest statement from Transport Scotland on the A9 dualling programme, as reported in the March Bridge is here:
https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/significant-milestone-as-four-more-a9-dualling-schemes-given-approval
As always you can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com, and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list; Also at Facebook page:
Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group.
Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
Information from TS is available at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-to-tay-crossing/
The next A9 Community Group meetings will be on Thursday 29th April and Thursday 27th May (also our AGM), by Zoom unless otherwise notified.
The February A9 Community Group Meeting discussed follow up with the Community Council, Transport Scotland and Perth and Kinross Council on interim safety measures at Birnam and Dunkeld junctions; update on addressing the platform height issue at Dunkeld and Birnam station; and the Group’s submission to the Transport section of Perth and Kinross Council’s consultation on Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation.
Nothing further had been received from Transport Scotland on the status of design of Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing, although we have noted the following statement from them on 10th March:
“The design work for the remaining scheme between Pass of Birnam and Tay Crossing is also continuing following the co-creative process with the local community and we expect to share the preferred option for this stretch of the route with communities and road users, later this year.”
This was included in a news release announcing government approval for go ahead with four other A9 dualling sections to the north, including Tay Crossing to Ballinluig, the enquiry report for which we received recently. Our objections submitted regarding expected increase in HGV and other traffic through Dunkeld because of the proposed Rotmell junction design on this section were not accepted.
The TS news release is at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/significant-milestone-as-four-more-a9-dualling-schemes-given-approval
The full Tay Crossing to Ballinluig enquiry report is available at: https://www.dpea.scotland.gov.uk/CaseDetails.aspx?ID=120311
As always you can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com, and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list;
Also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group.
Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
Information from TS is available at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-to-tay-crossing/
The next A9 Community Group meetings will be on Thursday 25th February and Thursday 25th March, by Zoom unless otherwise notified.
Matters covered at the December and January A9 Community Group Meetings were:
• While still awaiting an update from TS/Jacobs on progress on the design of Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing, discussion of possible scenarios and responses including new community consultation;
• Follow up with the Community Council on interim safety measures at Birnam junction;
• Submission from the Group to the Transport section of Perth and Kinross Council’s consultation on Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation, regarding both design/construction of the upgraded A9 and public transport issues;
• The new local Community Action Planning survey ;
• The Scottish Government transport and infrastructure budget for 2021-22;
• The lack of progress by Transport Scotland in addressing the platform height issue at Dunkeld and Birnam station.
As always you can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com, and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list; Also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group.
Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie
Coordinator 01350 727361
Information from TS is available at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-to-tay-crossing/
Next Community Meeting will be Thursday 3rd December 7:30pm via Zoom. Zoom link will be published on Facebook and emailed to our mailing shortly beforehand. Our first meeting of 2021 will be on Thursday 28th January at 7:30pm via Zoom.
Following on from our October Community Group meeting, where we had an interesting presentation from Dunkeld and Birnam Community Council on road safety measures being explored, we have highlighted the ‘out of scope’ road safety design ideas cultivated during the Co-creative process.
We are also working on scenario planning different outcomes of a Ministerial decision, looking at communications and possible consultation routes to work with the community again, should we need to. At the moment, we are still pursuing updates from Transport Scotland on the progress of work on our section and, the latest advice is that a timescale for a decision on the route is unknown.
Finally, thanks to Neil Graham for sharing a fascinating U3A lecture with us showing aerial time-lapse video footage of the construction ongoing in the Luncarty section, for anyone wishing to view this the link is on our Facebook page.
As always, you can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com ; - and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list, also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it, or just phone me!
Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Alasdair Wylie - Coordinator 01350 727361
Next Community Meeting will be Thursday 3rd December 7:30pm via Zoom. Zoom link will be published on facebook and emailed to our mailing shortly beforehand.
We are still pursuing updates from Transport Scotland on the progress of work on our section.
As always, you can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com - and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list, also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group.
Please Like and Share it, or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator
01350 727361
We will be holding our next Community Group meeting on Thursday 29th October, via Zoom – link will be emailed out and posted on Facebook shortly beforehand – all welcome!
A9 Birnam to Ballinluig Community Group Update September 2020
New online public exhibition about road building schemes
Earlier this month Transport Scotland (TS) started advertising in the press and on social media a “Future Public Engagement” consultation on “A virtual public exhibition setting out how we plan to engage with the public in a new way instead of face-to face public exhibitions”.
It relates to current and future road building schemes and the link to the online exhibition is http://bit.ly/FuturePublicEngagement . There is a feedback form and an email address for sending in comments, which TS would like to receive by 24th September : transportscotland@bigpartnership.co.uk .
Although there is no content specific to Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing in the virtual exhibition at present, we expect that there might well be in future because it may be some time before there can be another face to face exhibition for this community.
If you are sending comments to TS and can copy to the A9 Community Group email that would help inform our consolidated feedback to them. As this is TS first effort of this sort of thing, it would be interesting to know how you get on accessing the information in the virtual exhibition and reviewing the sample material in it.
We would also be keen to know how many of you had seen this promoted and knew about its existence, as we’re not sure wide reaching the communications from TS have been. Should this kind of thing be produced again in the future for our section then we want to make sure that as many people as possible know about it and are able to access it.
Road Safety Consultation
Another consultation of interest has recently been launched on Road Safety, closing on 1st Dec. The Road Safety Framework to 2030 sets out a compelling long-term vision for road safety, Vision Zero, where there are zero fatalities and injuries on Scotland’s roads by 2050. Views are being sought to inform proposals for achieving the targets which will be crucial to Scotland having the best road safety performance in the world.
https://consult.gov.scot/transport-scotland/road-safety-framework-to-2030/
Annual General Meeting and Community Update
Please see attached minutes of the AGM which was held via Zoom on 27th August. We just managed a quorum and dealt with the business of electing office bearers. This year’s office bearers will be: Coordinator – Alasdair Wylie, Deputy Coordinator – Mike Wolfe, Secretary – Sophie Cade and Treasurer – Garth Ponsonby. Many thanks to Ken Davis for his service as Treasurer over the last three years.
In other news, we are still trying to finalise the official minutes of the October to January 2020 workshops; TS, after some time made additions and edits which we are seeking to clarify. Once these have been agreed we will circulate the minutes and they will be publicly available online.
There has been no further update on the timescales for the Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing design work and a Ministerial decision. Surveys are taking place though as part of annual data collection.
As always, you can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com ; - and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list, also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it, or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie - Coordinator 01350 727361
A9 Birnam to Ballinluig Community Group Update August 2020
We will be holding our Annual General Meeting on Thursday 27th August, virtually, via Zoom. The usual business will be dealt with, including election of office bearers, for which we welcome nominations – please do get in touch if you’d like to nominate someone. We will email out a link and instructions on how to join the meeting on Zoom closer to the time.
Transport Scotland got back in touch with us in late June with an update; here’s the main extract:
“Please be assured that we are committed to progressing the scheme and will update you, and the wider community with our plans once it is clearer when and how the current restrictions may be lifted. As part of this recovery process we are looking at how we might be able to deliver a safe and effective consultation process having regard to the best scientific advice that is available as we come out of lockdown. We are also exploring alternative ways in which a public consultation may be carried out ensuring the safety of each and every individual.”
We received a verbal update to that effect; we do not yet know when a Ministerial decision on the route will come but, they are planning to hold a public event when it does and September is the earliest that it might happen (if, by then, TS have reported to the Cabinet Secretary and that there has been a decision).
Transport Scotland also advised that the latest groundworks drilling being done at points along our section were 97% completed before lockdown.
The Public Local Inquiry for Tay Crossing to Ballinluig section is continues and we are keeping a close eye on outcomes, this being of particular interest to us as regards our objection to the Rotmell junction (proposed by TS not to allow traffic to continue north from the old A9 coming up from Dunkeld.)
TS advises that in general the government’s priorities for transport are:
To focus on all travel/transport activities relating directly to Covid19 eg transport links to islands
To get construction re-started wherever possible to boost the economy (so Luncarty to Pass of Birnam is getting going again gradually).
Information from TS is available at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-to-tay-crossing/
You can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com - and to have your details added to (or removed from) our mailing list, also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it, or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
A9 Dualling Bankfoot Traffic Management
Temporary traffic lights on C408 near Hunter’s Lodge, Bankfoot for approx. 3 weeks
Road users are advised that two-way temporary traffic signals will be in place on the C408 on approach to Hunter’s Lodge underpass, between its junction with Innewan Gardens and the C408 Stewart Towers road for approximately three weeks, from 26th August 2020.
These temporary traffic signals will be in place 24/7 and are required to allow the safe construction of the footpath and tie in works to the carriageway of the C408 to accommodate the new layout of the Bankfoot north junction.
Road users are advised to plan ahead and allow additional time for your journey whilst these works are undertaken.
For further details, visit the Transport Scotland website or twitter feeds.
A9 dualling - Luncarty to Pass of Birnam gradual restart planned.
A9 road users advised to take care as construction of A9 Dualling north of Perth resumes.
Transport Scotland is reminding A9 road users to approach with care as the A9 dualling project gradually resumes construction work this week.
Following the successful completion of the pre-start planning and preparation phase to alter the site offices and welfare facilities, our contractor is now ready to safely resume construction activities, in accordance with the Scottish Government’s Route Map and Construction Sector guidance.
New operating procedures and protective measures which comply with Scottish Government guidelines on hygiene and physical distancing have been put in place.
This will allow those site activities which have been established to safely be resumed beginning with earthworks and roadworks.
To allow some earthworks operations to recommence, traffic-signal controlled plant crossings will be reinstated following their removal as part of the temporary shutdown of site. These include the C569 at Luncarty North Junction, the U38 Stanley Road, and on the C408 at Hunter’s Lodge (Bankfoot North Junction) as required.
In the coming months temporary traffic signals will also be required on the A9 for short periods overnight to enable our contractor to safely remove parapet formwork from the new overbridges above the A9 carriageway.
In addition, the temporary mini-roundabout south of Bankfoot is expected to remain in place until the adjacent new section of dual carriageway is constructed and traffic can be switched onto this new section of carriageway.
For the latest information regarding the construction of the A9 Dualling: Luncarty to Pass of Birnam project, visit the Transport Scotland website
Meeting Cancelled - Thursday 26th March
The A9 Community Group meeting on Thursday 26th March in the Duchess Anne Hall will not take place because of the Coronavirus situation.
If we are able to meet in April it will be on Thursday 30th April at Birnam Arts, 7.30pm. All Welcome!
And the May meeting, we hope, which will also be our AGM, on Thursday 28th May at Birnam Arts, 7.30pm
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 26th March in the Duchess Anne Hall, 7.30pm.
All Welcome!
We hope very much that by then we will know from Transport Scotland the results of the DMRB Stage 2 Assessment of the Community Preferred Route and the related additional design options. We will of course issue email updates as and when necessary. If you would like to get these and are not yet on the Community Group mailing list, see below.
Further to the presentation of the results of the series of workshops at the January CG meeting (see also the report in the February “Bridge”), a summary presentation will be given at the next meeting of the Dunkeld and Birnam Community Council on Monday 9th March.
There is a display with background information on the “Community Preferred Route” at Birnam Arts, on the wall in the Dance and Drama Studio upstairs.
More detailed information from TS is available at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-to-tay-crossing/projectdetails/#50754
You can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com - and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list, also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group.
Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator
01350 727361
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 27th February at Birnam Arts, 7.30pm. All Welcome!
The series of workshops on Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing which Community Group representatives started on 31st October
with Transport Scotland/Jacobs (TS/J) concluded on 8th January, making six in total. A full report was made at the 30th January Community Group meeting and is available online and by email (see below if you want to be on the CG email list). The agreed purpose of the workshops was that – following on from discussions about our “Closing the Gap “ paper (see earlier Bridge and online) - we would together aim to:
• better understand and discuss TS/J concerns about the Community Preferred Route (CPR) and mitigation possibilities;
• examine the) TS/J additional design options (from their March and May 2019 exhibits, as well as the CPR, in relation to the Community Objectives;
• get a better understanding of the reasons/rationales for the additional proposals by TS/J
• discuss refinement of these and/or further design options, including the 450m cut and cover tunnel (not included in the 2019 exhibits but agreed later by TS/J to be assessed)
Process: three workshops dealt with specific locations: Birnam/Murthly Estate junctions (preceded by an overview of the CPR); Dunkeld junction; and D and B Station access/A9 road level. The others covered follow up to items from the first three (in particular, new design options proposed by the CG); Environmental Assessment process and issues for the whole route; recap summary of engineering issues; and review of the CPR and additional design options in light of the Community Objectives and TS objectives for the A9 dualling.
The first workshop was felt to be successful and the other ones followed the same format (participants around a big table with large scale maps on), each running for three hours or more, with arrangements including refreshments made by TS. The CG representatives (between 6 and 10 each time) were encouraged by the openness of the TS/Jacobs team, led by well prepared Jacobs engineers who had been involved in the Co- Creative Process, and the collaborative and productive discussions which ensued with unpressured time.
An early key learning point for the CG was that the reasoning behind the additional design options as comparators to the Community Preferred Route (put on, or back on, the table last year) appears clearer. As a matter of due process TS are required to show Ministers that proposed junctions/routes can be compared to something in order to be selected. This process appears now to be less threatening than it did at the time of the TS/J exhibits last spring. The presence of an additional option eg at Dunkeld junction does not automatically mean that is is thought to be better than the design voted for in the CPR.
Throughout the workshops the CG participants kept clear the views of the community, as identified by the Community Preferred Route (CPR) option: in particular dualling the section past Birnam through a tunnel which would lower the A9, allowing the station to be reconnected to Birnam via Station road for access and parking and for pedestrians and cyclists; the lowered A9 continuing to a roundabout at the Dunkeld junction.
CG participants strongly maintained the position that the CPR represents the best option, with the maximum benefits and the minimum negative impacts. None of the additional options presented by TS/Jacobs meet the Community Objectives as fully as the CPR.
One of the alternatives presented last March is to replace the current A9 with an 'at grade' dual carriageway passing Birnam. This would remove the station car park and would likely require a grade separated Dunkeld junction. A lift and underpass would provide access from the station to Station Road. The CG participants were clear in pointing out that this would not meet the Community Objectives as expressed in the Co-Creative Process. TS/Jacobs are now tasked with presenting the CPR and alternatives in a DMRB Stage 2 Assessment Report and Recommendation to the Cabinet Secretary early in 2020.
While we wait for more clarity on the new timetable, and when we will have sight of the report and recommendation, the CG will continue to present and advocate for the clear advantages, in relation to the Community Objectives, of the Community Preferred Route and its components, and the disadvantages of additional options tables by TS/Jacobs.
There is a display with background information on the “Community Preferred Route” at Birnam Arts, on the wall in the Dance and Drama Studio upstairs. More detailed information from TS is available at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-to-tay-crossing/project-details/#50754
You can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com - and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list, also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it. Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie,
Coordinator
01350 727361
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 30th January at Birnam Arts, 7.30pm. All Welcome!
Note: If an additional Community Group meeting is needed during December this will be notified by email and on facebook.
We had a useful series of workshops with Transport Scotland/Jacobs (TS/J) during November and will have reported on these at the end November Community Group meeting as well as by email to the group mailing list.
Overall, the intention was that during these – following on from discussions about our “Closing the Gap “ paper - we would together aim to:
- better understand and discuss TS/J concerns about the Community Preferred Route and mitigation
possibilities;
- examine the present (March and May 2019) TS/J additional design route/ options (as well as the CPR)
in relation to the Community Objectives;
- get a better understanding of the reasons/rationales for those additional proposals by TS/J
- discuss refinement of these and/or further design options (including the 450m cut and cover tunnel)
There is a display with background information on the “Community Preferred Route” at Birnam Arts, on the wall in the Dance and Drama Studio upstairs.
More detailed information from TS is available at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-ofbirnam-to-tay-crossing/project-details/#50754
You can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com - and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list, also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group.
Please Like and Share it.
or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
Dualling of A9: Tay Crossing to Ballinluig
There is to be a Public Local Enquiry about the dualling proposals for this section. All of the documents relating to this are on a laptop computer up on the mezzanine level at Birnam Arts and available at this link: https://www.dpea.scotland.gov.uk/CaseDetails.aspx?ID=120312
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 28th November at Birnam Arts, 7.30pm. All Welcome
Summary: On 1st October we met Transport Scotland/Jacobs to discuss our “Closing the Gap” paper. We agreed to have workshops to look together both at TS’s additional design/route ideas from March/May and possible variant improvements to them, starting end October.
The draft ‘Closing the Gap’ strategy which we shared with Transport Scotland at the end of August following the visit of the Cabinet Secretary was discussed at a meeting with them and Jacobs on 1st October. It was quite difficult as TS did not at first appear to understand the “gap” issue. We highlighted the poor consultation at the time of the March and May exhibits which did not compare well with the level of consultation/participation/feedback generated through the Co-Creative process last year.
We highlighted in particular the risk that the community will end up with a route design for Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing that was not the one voted for in June 2018, which people were not properly consulted on, which might not align well with the Community Objectives, and which might be the outcome of a DMRB2 process that was not completely transparent.
TS agreed to consider having some workshops, requested by the Community Group representatives and the result, after followup correspondence and a working group meeting on 21st Oct was an agreement to start a series of workshops at the end of October/early Nov. The intention is to look together both at TS’s additional design/route ideas from March/May, to understand better their reasons for proposing them (and their concerns about the Community Preferred Route); and to look together at possible variant improvements to them, with a view to agreeing better alternatives (if needed!).
We hope that the first of these workshops will have taken place on 31st October (and reported on at that evening’s Community Group meeting) and that the outcomes from them all – positive, we hope! – will be reported at the end November CG meeting.
We will continue to give updates by email and do hope to see as many of you as possible on the 28th.
There is a display with background information on the “Community Preferred Route” at Birnam Arts, on the wall in the Dance and Drama Studio upstairs.
More detailed information from TS is available at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-ofbirnam-to-tay-crossing/project-details/#50754
You can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com - and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list, also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group.
Please Like and Share it.
or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
Dualling of A9: Tay Crossing to Ballinluig
There is to be a Public Local Enquiry about the dualling proposals for this section. All of the documents relating to this are on a laptop computer up on the mezzanine level at Birnam Arts and available at this link: https://www.dpea.scotland.gov.uk/CaseDetails.aspx?ID=120312
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 31st October at Birnam Arts, 7.30pm. All Welcome!
Summary: Following a productive meeting which Community Group representatives had with Cabinet Secretary Michael Matheson on 31st July, further meetings with Transport Scotland/Jacobs have taken place and were reported on and discussed at the August and September A9 Community Group meetings. We have drafted a “Closing the Gap” strategy for discussion, and a Local Economy Assessment has started.
After a somewhat quiet summer, things are starting to step up again with our work on the A9 Dualling Programme. So, we thought it would be a good time to give you all a run down of what’s been happening!
Transport Scotland’s Exhibitions in March and May this year, showed for the first time, other route design options that are now being assessed alongside the Community’s Preferred Route (as voted on in June 2018). The Community Group’s opinion survey at the March event showed a marked decline in confidence in the design process and a number of concerns within the community. With a good turnout at our AGM in June, we discussed the outcomes and feedback from the exhibitions, as well as the ongoing process and relations with Transport Scotland.
To act on the growing feeling of unease within the community, we met with Transport Scotland to explain our concerns about the process, communications and community engagement. 
We also, after some rescheduling, met with Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, Michael Matheson, on 31st July to review events and process following the Co-Creative Process – see notes here. This was a really constructive meeting (which included a walk together up to the station), in which the Cabinet Secretary acknowledged the concerns we had and explained that he too wanted to avoid a confrontational planning situation and would like to see a final route design that is mutually agreeable.
Mr Matheson suggested that Transport Scotland and the community work together to ‘close the gap’ and ‘create space’ for further dialogue and negotiation.
So, this is where we are at now. We have created a draft strategy which we have shared with Transport Scotland to establish steps to ‘close the gap’ between the current set of route options being assessed and the Community’s Objectives for a positive A9 Dualling outcome. This was discussed further at the August and September Community Group meetings and is the main agenda item for further meetings with Transport Scotland.
In the meantime, a Local Economy Assessment is under way, led by Jacobs and Professor John Lennon of the Moffat Centre for Travel and Tourism Business Development. Given the breadth of new information now out there on the route options begin assessed, the DMRB 2 process and the Local Economy Assessment we are working on producing some FAQs and “help sheets” to present all of this in more accessible chunks – keep an eye for these on email, Facebook and also at our display in Birnam Arts. (This is on the wall in the Dance and Drama Studio at the time of writing; we are grateful to Alex Kettles for preparing it.)
We will continue to give updates by email and do hope to see as many of you as possible on the 31st.
More detailed information from TS is available at:
https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-to-tay-crossing/project-details/#50754
You can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list, also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it.
or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie,
Coordinator 01350 727361
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 26th September at Birnam Arts, at 7.30pm. All Welcome!
Further to the productive meeting which Community Group representatives had with Cabinet Secretary Michael Matheson on 31st July, further meetings with Transport Scotland/Jacobs took place during August and were reported on and discussed at the August A9 Community Group meeting.
Alasdair Wylie,
Coordinator 01350 727361
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 25th July at Birnam Arts, at 7.30pm.
All Welcome!
And Thurs 29th August, same place, time and welcome!
The AGM of the Community Group was held on 13th June at Birnam Arts. Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator, gave a review of the year’s activities and thanked everyone from the Core Group and the wider CG for their involvement and support over another very busy year of progress, achievement and also new issues and concerns. A summary of his report will be posted in Bridge online and also circulated to all on the CG email list (see below if you want to be on the list) along with the other AGM business.
Alasdair Wylie, Mike Wolfe and Ken Davis were re-elected to the positions of Coordinator, Deputy Coordinator and Treasurer respectively. The position of Secretary remains vacant and we’ll be very glad to hear from anyone interested in helping on that front.
The AGM was followed by an interesting and full discussion on a number of related topics arising from the year’s activities, particularly the March and May exhibits by Transport Scotland/Jacobs, and the present situation. The Core Group had had a meeting on 30th May with TS and Jacobs representatives, the first since the end of the formal Co-Creative process last July and had put to them a number of questions and concerns including the basis for reintroducing design options rejected during the Co-Creative process; communications problems; issues with the TS consultation feedback report and the results of the CG opinion survey; feedback from stakeholder organizations; local business/economy matters; and the nature of the assessment process from now on.
It was agreed that there would be further meetings, the first of which took place on 18th June and a schedule agreed for at least three more in late July and August. These will focus on route appraisal/assessment issues (which will likely need more than one session), local business/economy issues, communication issues and others to be decided. If anyone is interested in participating in any of these, please do get in touch.
Unfortunately the Cabinet Secretary Michael Matheson was not able to make his planned visit on 5th June because of urgent parliamentary business; we are working with his office on an alternative date after his July holiday.
We will continue to give updates by email and do hope to see as many of you as possible on the 25th.
More detailed information from TS is available at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-to-tay-crossing/projectdetails/#50754
You can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com - and to have your details added to our mailing list, also at facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group.
Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
The next A9 Community Group meeting, and our AGM, will be on Thursday 13th June at Birnam Arts, at 7.30pm. All Welcome! Refreshments!
There’s been a lot happening in the last couple months, in particular the drop in exhibits by Transport Scotland/Jacobs in March and May which have generated much discussion. We’ll be reviewing all this together and reporting back on subsequent meetings with TS about the process and, we hope, reporting on a visit that we expect Cabinet Secretary Michael Matheson will be making on 5th June to learn for himself about the Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing dualling issues.
We do hope to see as many of you as possible on the 13th.
More detailed information om TS is available at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-to-tay-crossing/project-details/#50754
You can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com - and to have your details added to our mailing list, also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group.
Please Like and Share it. Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 25th April, Birnam Arts, 730pm. Please note change of venue. All welcome!
We now have a display of the Community Preferred Route at Birnam Arts, including information on the Community Objectives etc, on the wall upstairs in the quiet area. There are post-its there should folk want to make suggestions or ask questions.
We do hope that as many folk as possible were able to attended the Transport Scotland/Jacobs public consultation exhibition on 26th and Wed 27th March. For those who couldn’t manage or want to look again, all of the exhibition information is now on the TS A9 dualling website and will be open to comment until after the holiday period.
https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-to-tay-crossing/
As well as the visualization and related information on the Community Preferred Route (CPR) voted for last June, certain information about an alternative or “comparator” route option may have been on display. As discussed in the Co-Creative Steering Group in late 2017, TS are required to show this to Ministers as well, particularly if there are aspects of the CPR which depart from the design standards which would normally be used on the A9 dualling, and that this would be done in a transparent way.
Two points are of importance just now:
1.We have made it clear to TS that this transparency has to involve an agreed process of community engagement for the consideration of a comparator alternative; the exhibition may have been a start to that process.
2. The exhibition, as well as providing feedback to the community on the assessment of the CPR, is part of a continuing consultation; following it TS/Jacobs are doing further assessment based on comments etc received at and after the exhibition. They may well come back to the community again before submitting anything to Ministers.
We will continue to give updates on this by email as well as on our facebook page and Bridge online (contact details below). If you are not yet on the A9 Community Group email list and would like to be, please contact us at dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com
You can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.comor to have your details added to our mailing list; also, at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
S
ome notable developments!
We have now heard from Transport Scotland/Jacobs that their public consultation exhibition about the Community Preferred Route will take place at Birnam Arts on Tues 26th and Wed 27th March, from 11am to 9pm each day (see poster). The exhibition information will also be on the Transport Scotland website from the Tuesday.
Because the week before the holidays is a busy one for many folk we are working with them to ensure that the consultation/feedback period runs until after the holidays. The Core Group met with TS/Jacobs representatives yesterday, on Mon 11th, to discuss the exhibition and their presentation of the buildability of the Community Preferred Route.
A reminder that the next regular meeing of the A9 Community Group will be on Thursday 28th March, 730pm at the Royal Dunkeld Hotel. This will provide an immediate opportunity to talk together about the consultation exhibition and we do hope for a big turnout.
We have also heard that the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, Michael Matheson MSP, will make a visit to meet Community Group representatives to learn about the co-creative process and the Community Preferred Route, and to see this section of the A9 for himself. We are in discussion with his office about the date, hoping that it will be as soon as possible.
Further to the welcome news of a £500 microgrant from the Dunkeld and Birnam Community Council, we are very happy to report our successful application to the Perth and Kinross Council Community Investment Fund for Strathtay Ward. Subject to formal approval by a Council committee, the award of £ 3440 for the period up to end September 2019 will enable us to continue to hold periodic community led engagement/drop in events and to have a part time Project Assistant to support the Community Group's administrative and communications activities. A particular focus of this funding will be to strengthen our community engagement work and address "inequality of participation" especially with those who have not yet been able to participate fully because of social/transport isolation and mental health issues, while doing more to engage young people.
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 28th March, Royal Dunkeld Hotel, 7.30pm. All welcome!
At the time of writing we were still waiting for confirmation of the date of the Transport Scotland/Jacobs public exhibition of feedback on their assessment and consultation regarding the Community Preferred Route from the co-creative process. Perhaps by the time you read this we’ll know.
For ease of reference, detailed information on the Community Preferred Route, as voted for last June , including the “fly-through” visualization is available at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-to-tay-crossing/project-details/#50754
Funding: We are grateful to the Dunkeld and Birnam Community Council for a further microgrant to cover the Group’s routine meeting and other continuing costs.
Tay Crossing to Ballinluig: Transport Scotland has replied to the Group’s formal objection to the proposed design of the new junction at Rotmell, which will not allow any traffic which goes up the old A9 to go north there; it will have to come through Dunkeld and across the Telford Bridge instead, adding to the traffic including HGVs - including environmental impact - which already does. Transport Scotland have said that they will not modify the new Rotmell junction design.
Luncarty to Pass of Birnam: Work preparing for the dualling of this stretch is well under way. The main responsibility for keeping communities informed about the work including speed restrictions and diversions lies with Transport Scotland and the main contractor Balfour Beatty, but we and the Community Council will help to pass on new information as and when we can. We hope to learn as much as we can from the dualling of this stretch, as well as Tay Crossing to Ballinluig in due course, to make our preparation and engagement for the construction phase of Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing as productive as possible.
You can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com to have your details added to our mailing list;
also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it. Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie,
Coordinator 01350 727361
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 28th February, Royal Dunkeld Hotel, 7.30pm. All welcome!
Thanks again to the 100 or so folk who came to the "Big Decide" event in November. Those dropping in were able to see and discuss details of the Community Preferred Route for the Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing – also shown on a big screen “fly-through” visualisation which was very popular. Since last August Jacobs have been meeting with those living closest to the line of the Route as well as doing further assessment of how to build it, preparatory to presenting to Scottish Ministers for consideration. We now expect that Transport Scotland and Jacobs will hold a public exhibition towards the end of February to give feedback on their assessment of the Route and consultation work. It’s a bit later than originally expected but will be a very important step towards getting Ministerial approval. Then, on with the more detailed planning of the Route including associated pathways, cycleways, green bridges etc with plenty of opportunities for everyone to continue to be involved.
More detailed information on the Community Preferred Route, including the “fly-through” visualization is available at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-to-tay-crossing/projectdetails/#50754 50754
You can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.comor to have your details added to our mailing list; also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it. Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
Glen Garry to Crubenmore sections
Two adjoining sections of the A9 Dualling programme are the location for further ground investigations starting next Tuesday (15 January). The work will take place on the Glen Garry to Dalwhinnie and Dalwhinnie to Crubenmore stretches of the A9 and is expected to last around three months. Some traffic management measures will be required when necessary to allow work on or near the carriageway to be carried out safely. This will include alternate single file traffic sections controlled by temporary traffic signals. The Contractor will continue to monitor traffic and take steps when necessary to ensure delays are kept to a minimum.
A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: “The first dualling scheme between Kincraig and Dalraddy has now been operating for some time and construction of the Luncarty to Pass of Birnam section is due to start soon.
“At the same time, design work on the A9 Dualling programme continues at pace with eight of the nine remaining dualling schemes being designed now at draft Order stage.
“The latest ground investigations starting next Tuesday for two schemes totalling 13 miles along with other GI continuing on other sections after the holiday break is tangible evidence of the work going on to deliver this ambitious programme.
“We apologise for any inconvenience these works will cause and would thank road users and local communities in advance for their patience during the works. The contractor will closely monitor the operation of the traffic management measures to ensure that delays are kept to a minimum.
“While we do not expect major disruption to traffic, we would ask drivers to plan their journeys in advance using the Traffic Scotland website, twitter feed or Traffic Scotland radio.”
Contact: Steven Carmichael
steven.carmichael@transport.gov.scot | Transport Scotland | 01412727196 | 07775853185
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 24th January, Royal Dunkeld Hotel, 7.30pm.
All welcome!
Thanks to everyone who came to the "Big Decide" event in November. We hope that by the time of our January meeting we'll have heard about the ministerial decision on the Community Preferred Route and can get on with planning what will surely be a very interesting 2019.
2018 has been just that, and more. It's been momentous and encouraging in so many ways for the A9 dualling project here and we thank everyone in the community who has taken part, in whatever way, and wish you all the best for Christmas and the coming year.
More detailed information is available at https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-totay-crossing/project-details/#50754
You can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com
- and to have your details added to our mailing list, also at Facebook page:
Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group.
Please Like and Share it.
or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
‘The Big Result’ Saturday 24th November 10-2, Duchess Anne Hall, Dunkeld.
Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group Working constructively to get the best community outcomes from the A9 dualling proposals.
A number of local residents have asked for information about the result of the "Big Decide" vote in June. The A9 Community Group will host a drop-in event at the Duchess Anne Hall, Saturday 24th November 10am - 2pm for anyone who would like to attend. Plans of the community's preferred route and other material will be available for those of you who were not previously involved, or for those who would like a reminder of the outcome. There will also be opportunities to comment on the Community Objectives following the result and to contribute to non-spatial design ideas for the area around the road.
Next Steps Transport Scotland have recently updated their website with information about the community’s preferred route option and you can view the design factsheets and plans on there now too. https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-pass-of-birnam-to-taycrossing/project-details/#50754
Transport Scotland is doing further assessment and detailed design work and continues to consult with stakeholders who may be directly affected by the community’s preferred route. We are glad to see that Jacobs are now having one-to-one meetings with residents /stakeholders along the route and if anyone along the route hasn’t heard from them, please do get in touch, we're happy to help.
This consultation and design work will be used to inform the Ministers’ decision and it is hoped that the Ministers' decision on the preferred option for the Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing will be made by the end of 2018.
More detailed information is available on our page on "The Bridge" website at: http://www.dunkeldandbirnamnews.co.uk/community-council/a9-dualling
You can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com - and to have your details added to our mailing list, also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group.
Please Like and Share it.
or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thurs 25th October at the Royal Dunkeld Hotel 7.30pm. All welcome!
Visit http://www.dunkeldandbirnamnews.co.uk/32-communitynews/1022-a9-co-creative-news for the outcome of A9 Co-Creative Stage 5 vote.
Working constructively to get the best community outcomes from the A9 dualling proposals The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 25th October, Royal Dunkeld Hotel, 7.30pm. All welcome!
The “Preferred Route Option” for Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing: Quite a few people are still asking about the result of the “Big Decide” vote. In brief, it was for Route A and Junction 1. Full details are available in the September “Bridge” and online, link
below. Thanks again to everyone who took part!
Next steps: Transport Scotland is doing further assessment on the route selected by the community – bringing this up to the level necessary to inform Ministers when deciding on the preferred option for this section. This includes further engagement with the community – in particular, meeting with landowners along the line of the preferred route and with key stakeholders. It is hoped that the Ministers' decision on the preferred option for the Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing will be made by the end of
2018.
Tay Crossing to Ballinluig: The A9 Community Group has lodged an objection with Transport Scotland because the design of the proposed new junction at Rotmell will not permit traffic to go north from the C502 (old A9) onto the dualled A9 there, and would result in significant additional traffic, including HGVs, through Dunkeld, on the Telford Bridge and at Dunkeld junction, with associated impact on the environment and local economy.
You can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com - and to have your details added to our mailing list,
also at facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group.
Please Like and Share it. or just phone me!
Hope you’ve all had a good summer.
Alasdair Wylie,
Coordinator 01350 727361
Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group - working constructively to get the best community outcomes from the A9 dualling proposals.
Thanks to everyone who came along to the Big Decide on Sat 23rd June. We hope you found it a worthwhile morning.
It marked the culmination of great efforts from the community and the A9 Co-Creative to create a Preferred Route Option for the dualling of the A9 from Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing.
If you haven't already done so, there is still a bit of time left to cast your vote. Everyone's vote will count, and it is vital as many of you vote as possible.
To help you make your decision, visit http://www.a9co-creative.scot, or see the information at Birnam Arts. All votes must be received by midnight on 2nd July.
The "A9 Co-Creative" will officially come to an end in July, once the Preferred Route Option has been sent to Scottish Ministers, however the A9 Community Group is discussing how to continue work with Transport Scotland to get the best for the community during the further stages of the A9 dualling project here.
If you would like to keep up to date with this, please sign up to our email list at dunkelda9workinggroup@gmail.com, or follow us on Facebook.
We are still very keen to hear from anyone who would like to be involved in any aspect of the Community Group’s work, and also to have any suggestions on how we can better communicate both with the community and at our meetings!
You can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com - also to have your details added to our mailing list if you wish; also at facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me! Best wishes for 2018! Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 28th June, Royal Dunkeld Hotel, 7.30pm.
There will be lots to discuss, not only what we’ve achieved so far with the A9 Co-Creative process for Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing but - of course - what follows? All welcome!
The “Big Decide” event on Sat 23rd June at Birnam Arts is the most important yet in this community’s work with Transport Scotland, Jacobs and PAS. We do hope that as many folk as possible can come and take part.
Further information is available on: https://a9co-creative.scot
You can contact us at: email:dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com
- also to have your details added to our mailing list if youwish; and also at facebook page:
Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group.
Please Like and Share it.
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 31st May, Royal Dunkeld Hotel, 7.30pm.
This will also be our AGM and everyone is welcome!
The “A9 Co-Creative” is a partnership process between our community and Transport Scotland, facilitated by PAS, to work together to create a preferred design for the dualling of the A9 between Pass of Birnam (where the present dual carriageway finishes at the bottom of the hill coming from Perth) and Tay Crossing (0.5 km beyond Jubilee Bridge).
Drop In Sessions in March
Thanks to the many people who came to the drop-in sessions in March to see all of the design ideas submitted for the different junctions and the station, and the ideas for possible “offline” routes. Its great that even at this stage new folk are getting involved. It’s not too late!
Stage 4 May Events - Creating the Shortlist Together
The next step in the process is for the community to create short lists of ideas that will be taken to Stage 5. The May events will focus on our Community Objectives and how design ideas for each location might affect our community in different ways, both positively and negatively.
At these, you’ll be given the opportunity to have more in-depth discussion of individual locations and to score your preferred ideas for each of the different junctions and the station. This will directly influence the “Whole Route Options” to be considered at Stage 5. It will also be possible for people to participate in this important stage of the process on the internet.
This is a crucial stage and its important that as many people as possible get involved - a unique opportunity for everyone in the community to contribute to this major infrastructure project that will influence Dunkeld and Birnam community for years to come.
Further information is available on www.A9co-creative.scot
You can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com - also to have your details added to our mailing list if you wish; also at facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it. Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
Dates for your diary:
Birnam Institute Tuesday 1st May: Mainline On-line and Mainline Off-line ideas (4-6 pm and 7-9 pm).
Thursday 3rd May: Birnam Junction and Murthly Estate entrance (4-6 pm and 7-9 pm).
Saturday 5th May: Dalguise Junction (10 am-12 pm).
Saturday 5th May: Dunkeld Junction & The Hermitage (1 -3 pm).
Tuesday 8th May: Dunkeld & Birnam Station (4-6 pm and 7-9 pm).
Wednesday 9th May: Dunkeld Junction and The Hermitage entrance (4–6 pm).
Wednesday 9th May: Open Session (7-9pm) – all locations.
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 31st May, Royal Dunkeld Hotel, 7.30pm.
This will also be our AGM and everyone is welcome!
As ever, thank you for your continued support with the co-creative process, in particular all who came to the dropin events on 26th and 29th March and all those who came to last month’s outreach events in Amulree, Butterstone, Dalguise, Murthly and Inver. We have been overwhelmed with the response from the community, and the energy that continues to go into participating at all stages.
The “A9 Co-Creative” is a partnership process between our community and Transport Scotland (TS), facilitated by PAS, to work together to create a preferred design for the dualling of the A9 between Pass of Birnam (where the present dual carriageway finishes at the bottom of the hill coming from Perth) and Tay Crossing (0.5 km beyond Jubilee Bridge). The website is www.A9co-creative.scot; it includes a “Frequently asked Questions” section.
Community Group representatives on the project Steering Group have continued to work hard with TS, Jacobs and PAS to design an optimal process for gradually narrowing down the list of ideas in a way which is transparent, consistent with the objectives of the community and of TS, and responsive to community views.
In January, everyone in the community was invited to submit their ideas (over 160!) for the design of the road. Any ideas that weren't a dualling option or were unsafe were removed and duplicates merged. In late March, those remaining ideas – the long list - were on display at Birnam Arts for everyone to see and comment on.
All of the ideas that have been submitted can be tracked online at https://ideas.a9co-creative.scot/. This will be available throughout the process, so you can see which ideas are progressed for further consideration.
The next step is for the community to create a short list of ideas through detailed assessment against our community objectives. Be sure to keep an eye on www.A9Co-Creative.scot for details of forthcoming events where you can let us know which ideas you prefer. These events and chances to comment will also be advertised on local posters etc throughout the process which runs until June, so everyone still has a chance to shape the design of the road. Design ideas and options will be gradually explored, refined and filtered, with community involvement throughout, until we have 3-5 “whole route” options left for consideration in May. An agreed preferred option will be presented to the Cabinet Secretary in June.
We have sent a comprehensive briefing to all members of parliament and councillors for the area and will continue to keep them up to date on the co-creative activities, and have also provided a briefing to representatives of a community group interested in having a co-creative process for the dualling of a section of the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen.
We are still very keen to hear from anyone who would like to be involved in any aspect of the Community Group’s work, and also to have any suggestions on how we can better communicate both with the community and at our meetings!
You can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com - also to have your details added to our mailing list if you wish; also at facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 22nd March, Royal Dunkeld Hotel, 7.30pm. All welcome!
We hit the ground running in 2018 and are very glad that over 100 folk were able to attend the Community Council’s A9 Dualling meeting on the 8th January. Thanks to those who came to the Community Group’s meetings at the Royal Dunkeld Hotel in December and January, and to the CG’s representatives on the project Steering Group for their continued hard work with Transport Scotland, Jacobs and PAS to design the Co-Creative process.
Co-Creative Update
The “A9 Co-Creative” is a partnership process between our community and Transport Scotland, facilitated by PAS, to work together to create a preferred design for the dualling of the A9 between Pass of Birnam (where the present dual carriageway finishes at the bottom of the hill coming from Perth) and Tay Crossing ( 0.5 km beyond Jubilee Bridge).
The “A9 Co-Creative” now has its own website, www.A9Co-Creative.scot with background information and details of planned events.
The Co-Creative road design process started in January with drop in events (including creative workshops for children, facilitated by Children’s Parliament) and a workshop.
The process has five stages, in all of which the community will be involved, which are broadly:
• January: Collect ideas
• February: Build list of options (keeping in all options for dualling that can meet safety standards and pulling together any duplicates)
• March/April: Create a 'long list' of options
• April/May: Select a 'short list' of options
• June 2018: Agree preferred option
Thanks to everyone who came along to the events in January, which gave us the chance to find out more and discuss specific issues with specialist engineers. About 150 people attended three events.
Approximately 150 ideas were submitted at the first stage of the process, a great response, including ideas from children and young people in the area, who were able to take part in special workshops facilitated by the Children's Parliament, and at Breadalbane Academy.
Note: Don’t worry if you didn’t get to one of these. If you had previously given ideas for any part of the road design, for example at “Big Ask” day or earlier, all of these are being included and will be part of the process; and you can use the new website.
All ideas submitted are now being looked at. Any duplicates or unsafe options will be removed, but all others will be presented to the community to view and comment. If you didn't submit an idea, there is still plenty of opportunity to have your say and comment on any design suggestions throughout the process.
One of the most exciting features of the process is that if you have submitted a design idea, you will be able to track it online and find out whether or not it has been taken forward and the reasons for this. This will also be available on the new website (this feature still under development as we write in mid January), so keep an eye on it.
Upcoming ways to get involved are:
• Come along to Birnam Arts for an exhibition, or to drop in events on 26th and 29th March, where you'll be able to discuss all the ideas with specialists from the community, Jacobs and Transport Scotland, and feedback any thoughts you have on the ideas presented.
• Attend any of the outreach drop ins at Dalguise, Inver, Amulree, Murthly and Butterstone (details on www.A9co-creative.scot)
• Request an update for your group or meeting from a CG rep by emailing dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com
• Keep checking the website. All the design ideas are now available online for everyone to view
• Submit any comments to info@A9co-creative.scot
There will be events, activities and chances to comment throughout the process, which runs until June, so everyone still has a chance to shape the design of the road. Design ideas and options will be gradually explored, refined and filtered, with community involvement throughout, until we have 3-5 “whole route” options left for consideration in May.
A final preferred option will be presented to the Cabinet Secretary in June.
Future Community Group Meetings
As there will be many co-creative events and activities going on in the coming months, we will now have CG meetings every second month, planned dates being 22nd March and 31st May. We’ll keep everyone up to date by email of course as well as through our “Bridge” reports.
Further information is available on www.A9co-creative.scot as well as on the “Bridge” website.
We’ve also helped prepare a new version of “Frequently Asked Questions”, available on the new website and “Bridge” online,
We are still very keen to hear from anyone who would like to be involved in any aspect of the Community Group’s work, and also to have any suggestions on how we can better communicate both with the community and at our meetings!
You can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com - also to have your details added to our mailing list if you wish; also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me! Best wishes for 2018!
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
We’ve hit the ground running in 2018 and are very glad that over 100 folk were able to attend the Community Council’s A9 Dualling meeting on the 8th January. Thanks to those who came to the Community Group’s meetings at the Royal Dunkeld Hotel in December and January, and to the CG’s representatives on the project Steering Group for their continued hard work with Transport Scotland, Jacobs and PAS to design the Co-Creative process.
At the December CG meeting we presented the Community Objectives, the results of the very well attended “Big Ask” day at the Duchess Anne on 11th November (thanks again to all who came!)
Community Objectives
As a reminder, our final summary objectives for the dualling project are:
• Health, Noise and Wellbeing: Reduce noise and pollution
• Landscape and Environment: Protect and enhance the distinctive landscape and natural heritage of the area.
• Safety: Provide safe access to and from the A9 and improve safety on village roads
• Local Economy: Promote sustainable local economic growth
• Active Travel and Recreation: Improve provision for cycling and walking
• Public Transport: Bus services and train services are maintained and improved
• Historic Environment: Preserve and enhance historical features, including the railway station.
These will be available at all community events, as they inform the whole process, alongside the Transport Scotland objectives. The detailed objectives were emailed to everyone on the CG list; please let us know if you’d like a copy sent.
Future Community Group Meetings
As there will be many co-creative events and activities going on in the coming months, we propose that we change to having CG meetings every second month, with planned dates being 22nd March and 31st May. We’ll keep everyone up to date by email of course as well as through our “Bridge” reports.
Community Engagement Facilitator
One condition of the appointment of PAS as facilitator for the Co-Creative process was that the Community Group would select a community engagement facilitator who would be included in the PAS team. Hazel Allen of Athena Solutions has being appointed to this role, working with her associates Fiona Chalmers and Richard Heggie.
Co-Creative Update
The “A9 Co-Creative” is a partnership process between our community and Transport Scotland to work together to create a preferred design for the dualling of the A9 between Pass of Birnam (where the present dual carriageway finishes at the bottom of the hill coming from Perth) and Tay Crossing (0.5 km beyond Jubilee Bridge).
The Co-Creative road design process started in January with drop in events (including creative workshops for children, facilitated by Children’s Parliament) and a workshop
The process has five stages, in all of which the community will be involved, which are broadly:
• January: Collect ideas
• February: Build list of options (keeping in all options for dualling that can meet safety standards and pulling together any duplicates)
• March/April: Create a 'long list' of options
• April/May: Select a 'short list' of options
• June 2018: Agree preferred option
Stage One - Community Ideas
Thanks to everyone who attended the January events and submitted ideas and/or came to ask questions about the process. (We’ve helped prepare a new version of “Frequently Asked Questions”, available on the new website (see below), “Bridge” online, and our own facebook page.)
Note: Don’t worry if you didn’t get to one of these. If you had previously given ideas for any part of the road design, for example at “Big Ask” day or earlier, all of these are being included and will be part of the process; and you can use the new website.
New Website
The “A9 Co-Creative” now has its own website. Check out www.A9Co-Creative.scot for lots of background information and details of planned events. We shall continue to provide information by email as well, and on the A9 CG facebook page.
One of the most exciting features of the process is that if you have submitted a design idea, you will be able to track it through the process and find out whether or not it has been taken forward and the reasons for this. This will also be available on the website (this feature still under development as we write in mid January), so keep an eye on it.
Briefing of MSPs and Councillors
We have continued to have regular briefing meetings with John Swinney MSP and have done an updated written briefing for all MSPs and Councillors.
We are still very keen to hear from anyone who would like to be involved in any aspect of the Community Group’s work, and also to have any suggestions on how we can better communicate both with the community and at our meetings!
You can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com - also to have your details added to our mailing list if you wish also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me! Best wishes for 2018! Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 25th January at the Royal Dunkeld Hotel. 7:30 pm. All welcome!
Big Community Ask
Thanks to everyone who supported the Big Ask on Saturday 11th November. Over 230 of you came along to comment and vote on what matters most to you for the A9 dualling process, through a set of draft community objectives. The Duchess Anne was buzzing with discussions, chats and questions about the community objectives, all helped along by live music and tasty food. The final objectives from the Big Ask will be used to underpin the co-creative process, which will inform the design of the road.
Children's voices are at the heart of this process. The Children's Parliament facilitated a creative project with the Royal School of Dunkeld, so local children could be heard and involved in the process. Stunning artwork brought colour to the hall, and was much admired.
Alasdair Wylie, Co-ordinator of the Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community group said “It was fantastic to see so many people at the Big Ask – saying how they think a successful A9 dualling project could benefit the community, and how negative impacts could be avoided. This is a unique opportunity for the whole community to have its voice heard, and we hope this process will set an example for other major infrastructure developments elsewhere in Scotland and the rest of the UK.”
Julie Menzies, Acting Head of The Royal School of Dunkeld said; “The community supported us greatly last session as we celebrated our 450th birthday. This term, we were asked to support the community. Invited by the Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group, our P7 pupils have had the opportunity to work with the Children’s Parliament this week on a creative project exploring the children’s ‘hopes and dreams for the future of their community’. The artwork they produced to be on display at ‘The Big Ask’ is absolutely stunning. Our project was a small part of a much bigger community project and we felt privileged that the children had the opportunity to have their voices heard in such a creative and unbiased way. “
John Swinney, the community’s constituency MSP said on the day of the event, “Today I’ve heard first-hand what the community wants to see from the A9 dualling project across a range of themes – from safety to health, natural heritage to the historic environment. I’ve been particularly impressed with the children of the Royal School of Dunkeld – whose vision for their community is an inspiration to us all. I’m sure what I’ve seen today heralds a positive start to community’s work with Transport Scotland to find a preferred solution for the A9 dualling in this area.”
Co-Creative Process
Since the finalization of the agreement with Transport Scotland (TS) for them to appoint PAS as facilitator of the Co-Creative process, with conditions from the A9 Community Group (CG), things have moved fast.
A Programme Board (CG and TS) and a Steering Group (CG,TS, Jacobs and PAS) have been established and the Steering Group has met weekly since October, working on the design of the Co-Creative process.
It is planned that this process will take place between January and May/June 2018
The Dunkeld and Birnam Community Council are holding a public meeting about the A9 on Monday 8th January (7.30pm) at Birnam Arts.
Finally, we want to wish you all a merry Christmas and happy new year. Thanks to everyone for all your help and support this year.
We are very keen to hear from anyone who would like to be involved in any aspect of the CG’s work, and also to have any suggestions on how we can better communicate both with the community and at our meetings!
You can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com - and to have your details added to our mailing list, also at facebook page:
Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it. or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie,
Coordinator 01350 727361
Community Council Public Meeting about A9 Dualling
Birnam Institute, Monday, January 8th, 7:30pm
Two years since the February 2016 public meeting about dualling the A9, another public meeting organised by the Community Council will be held on Monday, January 8th at 7:30pm at the Birnam Institute. The purpose is to discuss developments over those two years as well as the immediate and unique opportunity everyone in the community will have to contribute to the design of a route for our stretch of the A9. The meeting is a chance to ask questions about what has happened or not happened, why, and what is planned for the first half of 2018—as well the next few years. Everyone is welcome and anyone who wishes to speak will be heard.
In some ways, little has happened in the last two years. We do not know where the road will go, how it will be built, and what the impact and implications are for all the communities in this Community Council area. One very important thing did happen. Transport Scotland did not decide for us where the road would go or how it would be built and what will happen to our train station. Instead, they have agreed to participate directly with anyone in the community who wishes to contribute directly to the design of the road, its route and its character. Those opportunities to contribute directly will occur here in Dunkeld and Birnam between January and May 2018. The opportunities will be facilitated by an independent organisation with a record of helping communities, Planning Aid Scotland. The opportunities will be part of a process for creating a road design that will be put to the Scottish Government for approval. We believe this is unique and has never happened in Scotland, nor probably in the UK. This is our best chance to get a road we can live with.
More detail will be available at the public meeting. In addition to opportunities later in January to submit ideas, there will be a box to receive your written comments or ideas about the A9. If you’re interested in the A9, please come on January 8th at 7:30pm to the Birnam Institute.
A9 Dualling Community Engagement Event, Mid Atholl Hall Ballinluig, on Wednesday 6th and Thursday 7th December 2017
What's a Co-Creative Process? Put simply, the community will sit “round the table” with Transport Scotland over about five months in 2018 and will work through a process to identify, develop and evaluate preferred roads and junctions options for the A9 dualling project at Dunkeld and Birnam to Tay Crossing.
The Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group and Transport Scotland are working together to agree roads and junctions options for the Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing section of the A9 dualling project. Download FAQ here.
Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group Update
Transport Scotland are working with our community to design and deliver a co-creative process to explore all options for the Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing section of the A9 Dualling Project. This means bringing the community and Transport Scotland together, to achieve a preferred option for the community.
Having your say
For the process to be co-creative, we need to decide what matters most to the community, and set this out in our community objectives. It is important that as a community we develop our own set of objectives, as these will inform options, propose solutions and create a vision for what we want from the dualling. Our objectives, with those of Transport Scotland, for dualling the A9, will then form the basis for the co-creative process. We want as many people to have their say as possible, at the outset of this important opportunity for the community to have a genuine say on the A9 dualling outcome. We have organised a programme of workshops and a community event to help do this.
Workshop programme
Thanks to everyone who came along to the themed workshops held earlier. These workshops will help shape our community objectives, and will build on what you have already told us through the survey last year and the open sessions in June. There are still a few workshops in the programme on issues we have not yet covered. Dates for these are as follows:
· Wednesday 1st November: Local Economy and Recreation (6pm-7.30pm, Royal Dunkeld Hotel)
· Monday 6th November: Public Transport and Safety (8pm-9.30pm, Birnam Arts)
There is no need to book, just come along!
Big Community Event: Saturday 11th November (11am-2pm, Duchess Anne, Dunkeld)
Pop in to have your final say on the full set of draft community objectives. You'll be able to discuss the draft objectives, vote on your priorities and make any comments. There will be lots of music, food and children’s activities, so come along for a fun way to get your voice heard.
Next Community Group Meeting
Thursday 23rd November, 7.30-9.30pm, Royal Dunkeld Hotel.
Keeping in touch
We are very keen to hear from anyone who would like to be involved in any aspect of the CG’s work, and also to have any suggestions on how we can better communicate both with the community and at our meetings!
You can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com - and to have your details added to our mailing list, also at facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group.
Please Like and Share it. or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group Update
Transport Scotland are working with our community to design and deliver a co-creative process to explore all options for the Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing section of the A9 Dualling Project. This means bringing the community and Transport Scotland together, to achieve a preferred option for the community.
Having your say
For the process to be co-creative, we need to decide what matters most to the community, and set this out in our community objectives. It is important that as a community we develop our own set of objectives, as these will inform options, propose solutions and create a vision for what we want from the dualling. Our objectives, with those of Transport Scotland, for dualling the A9, will then form the basis for the co-creative process. We want as many people to have their say as possible, at the outset of this important opportunity for the community to have a genuine say on the A9 dualling outcome. We have organised a programme of workshops and a community event to help do this.
Workshop programme
Thanks to everyone who came along to the themed workshops held earlier. These workshops will help shape our community objectives, and will build on what you have already told us through the survey last year and the open sessions in June. There are still a few workshops in the programme on issues we have not yet covered. Dates for these are as follows:
• Wednesday 1st November: Local Economy and Recreation (6pm-7.30pm, Royal Dunkeld Hotel)
• Monday 6th November: Public Transport and Safety (8pm-9.30pm, Birnam Arts)
There is no need to book, just come along!
Big Community Event: Saturday 11th November (11am-2pm, Duchess Anne, Dunkeld)
Pop in to have your final say on the full set of draft community objectives. You'll be able to discuss the draft objectives, vote on your priorities and make any comments. There will be lots of music, food and children’s activities, so come along for a fun way to get your voice heard.
Next Community Group Meeting
Thursday 23rd November, 7.30-9.30pm, Royal Dunkeld Hotel.
Keeping in touch
We are very keen to hear from anyone who would like to be involved in any aspect of the CG’s work, and also to have any suggestions on how we can better communicate both with the community and at our meetings!
You can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com - and to have your details added to our mailing list, also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it.
or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 26th October at the
Royal Dunkeld Hotel. 7:30 pm. All welcome!
After 2 years of hard work and ongoing discussion with Transport Scotland and Scottish Ministers, we are nearing the start of a Co-Creative process as the way to engage the community in developing joint options for the design of the A9 dualling between the Pass of Birnam and Tay Crossing. This new process reflects the expected improvements in public consultation, following recent changes to planning legislation. We anticipate the process will start its work with the community by January 2018 and conclude in the summer.
New community support staff: The A9 CG has appointed Elizabeth Leighton as project manager to support the community through the co-creative process. She will be joined by a Project Assistant, Helen Stockham, who will provide communications and administrative support. Elizabeth is an independent consultant based in Aberfeldy, experienced in facilitation, research, and community engagement. Helen lives in Birnam, and has worked on a variety of sustainability, community and digital engagement projects. You can reach either Elizabeth or Helen through the Community Group email - dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com.
Completing the Open Programme: We’ve had lots of people participate in the Open Programme sessions, which ran in early summer to discuss the key themes that emerged from our community survey in 2016. Everyone felt welcome to ask about and discuss issues, even if new to it all. Three events on active travel, local economy and safety are to come in October.
Setting our community objectives: The A9 CG is also about to initiate events to identify our community objectives for the A9 dualling. Work with the school and the Children’s Parliament will ensure local children also get their voices heard. Here are some of the questions we’ll consider:
• What’s important to us?
• What would we like to keep the same and what do we want to change?
• What would be a successful A9 Dualling project?
• What should our community look like in 10 years?
These objectives will be a key input to the Co-Creative Process and sit alongside Transport Scotland objectives to inform discussions on dualling options.
During October we will reach out to groups, businesses and individuals who want to have their say –contact Elizabeth or Helen if you would like a presentation, workshop or just a 1:1 meeting to talk about the community objectives. We’re keen to work with you to make it easy to contribute.
All contributions will be gathered together for a big community workshop – for everyone! – planned for early November to discuss, debate and approve a final set of community objectives.
Questions? Comments? Contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com - and have your details added to our mailing list, also at facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it. Or just phone me!
Alasdair Wylie,
Coordinator 01350 727361
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Wednesday 27th September, Royal Dunkeld Hotel, 7.30pm. All welcome!
HELP!: WE DO NEED MORE FOLK to help out with secretarial/admin tasks of various kinds; helping chair and take notes at meetings from time to time; and publicity/communications tasks. If you think that what the A9 Community Group is doing is important and can spare even occasional time, do please get in touch!
• The A9 Community Group core group met with Transport Scotland (TS) again on 18th July, together with PAS (Planning Aid Scotland), appointed by TS as facilitator for the Co-Creative Process. Our concerns about the appointment have still not been resolved, various options for the role of PAS were discussed at the 24th August A9 Community Group meeting, and there was to be another meeting with TS after that.
• Following the very positive visit of Cabinet Secretary Keith Brown in June, a detailed funding proposal has been submitted for Scottish Government support to pay for a project facilitator for (i) completion of the Community led Stage 1 of the Co-Creative Process and (ii) Stage 2 through the rest of the Co-Creative Process; and (iii) to pay for a Community Group Assistant.
• A first meeting of the “Solutions Group” took place in July, a forum for some Community Group members to share thinking about the A9 dualling design options.
• Planning is underway for two more events in September which could not be included in the June Open Programme of community-led events on Active Travel/Walking and Cycling, and on Safety Issues; a third on Local Economy is also planned. Watch out for details by email, on posters/flyers and on facebook (see below)
• The second part of the Community led Stage 1 of the Co-Creative Process is also planned, for end September; this will conclude the Community Objective Setting stage and vision for the community.
• Work has continued with Children’s Parliament to bring together a stream of activity to inform the completion of Stage 1 and following parts of the Co-Creative Process, involving people from across the wider community.
We are very keen to hear from anyone who would like to be involved in any aspect of the CG’s work, and also to have any suggestions on how we can better communicate both with the community and at our meetings!
You can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com - and to have your details added to our mailing list, also at facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it.
or just phone me! Hope you’ve all had a good summer.
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
Transport Scotland has added a section to their website to load up information to support the co-creative process. At the first of the community open sessions (Cultural Heritage and Historic Environment, 12th June) they said they would load up the baseline environmental work done to date to provide supporting information. That work is now available at this location.
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 24th August, Royal Dunkeld Hotel, 7.30pm. All welcome!
Apologies for the last minute cancellation of the 22nd June meeting.
• On 31st May the first AGM of the A9 Community Group (CG) was held. The office bearers elected were:
Coordinator: Alasdair Wylie; Deputy Coordinator: Mike Wolfe; Treasurer: Ken Davis; Secretary: Vacant.
• The Open Programme of community-led events in June to inform & involve everyone (details as in the June “Bridge”) has gone very well, with good feedback from community members and public body representatives who attended; thanks to all of you and them.
• Two events which could not be included in the June programme, Active Travel/Walking and Cycling, and Safety Issues, will be held in late August/early September. Watch out for emails and posters and on facebook (see below)
• The purpose of these events is to provide people with a space to be together to find out more about and discuss the issues that the 2016 Community Survey results showed that people cared about in relation to the A9 Dualling.
• If you or your local group would like to be involved in any of these events, please get in touch.
• The A9 CG had sourced funding to get going on this community-led stage of the process. We are grateful to LUSH for this support and also to the Dunkeld and Birnam Community Council which has given microgrant support (from the Griffin
Windfarm fund) to cover basic costs for the last year.
• A first meeting of the CG “Solutions Group” was planned, to act as a forum for those who have been thinking about the dualling design options to share their thinking.
Cabinet Secretary Keith Brown visited on 1st June and spent time on the ground in Kindallachan and Birnam learning about the situation and some of the local issues which concern folk. It was a very positive visit and we hope that there will be some direct support from the Scottish Government to help fund our Community Objectives related activities in September as well as a continuing constructive dialogue.
• One thing of interest to the Cabinet Secretary was our recent discussions with Children’s Parliament, an organization which
works to give children the chance to voice ideas, thoughts and concerns so that they can be listened to when things are being
planned. See http://www.childrensparliament.org.uk/
• The A9 CG core group met with Transport Scotland (TS) and Jacobs on 19th June for the first time this year. Despite the
long delay by TS it was a generally positive meeting. Central to the discussions was our concerns about the appointment by
TS of PAS (Planning Aid Scotland) as facilitators for the Co-Creative Process, without consultation on the appointment brief.
There will be another meeting during the summer.
• Briefings with John Swinney MSP have continued and the A9 Community Group remains very appreciative indeed of the
continued support he has provided.
Updates on the information provided and discussions held at A9 Community Group meetings, and the AGM minutes, are available on the “Bridge” website at: http://www.dunkeldandbirnamnews.co.uk/community-council/a9-dualling
We are very keen to hear from anyone who would like to be involved in any aspect of the CG’s work, and also to have any suggestions on how we can better communicate both with the community and at our meetings!
You can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com - and to have your details added to our mailing list, also at facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it.
Or just phone me! Wishing you all a good summer and holidays.
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
Future events organised by the Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group:
You can download a copy of the events list by clicking here.
There is one change: Active Travel (Walking, Cycling) , Non-Motorised Users event was Monday 19th June, new date to be confirmed.
Our Facebook page also shows all the dates and events so we are encouraging people to use this too: https://www.facebook.com/Birnam-to-Ballinluig-A9-Community-Group-278325772500670/
Open Programme: Your opportunity to find out more about issues you said you cared about in the Community Survey.
Each event will include short presentations about key issues, further information, Q&A and discussion.
• Cultural Heritage & Historic Environment – Monday 12th June, 8pm-9.30 pm, Birnam Arts
• Natural Heritage: Habitats and Landscape – Wednesday 14th June, 8pm-9.30pm Birnam Arts.
• Active Travel, Non-Motorised Users – Monday 19th June, 8pm-9.30 pm, Birnam Arts
• Community Health: Air, Noise, Vibration, Dust – Wednesday 21st June, 8pm-9.30 pm, Birnam Arts
• Public Transport, Dunkeld & Birnam Station – Monday 26th June, 8pm-9.30 pm, Birnam Arts
• Natural Heritage: Protected Species - Wednesday 28th June 8pm-9.30 pm, Birnam Arts
• Evening Walk: Birnam Station to Braan (Inver) – 29th June, 7.30-9.30pm, Depart from Birnam Arts
More events to be confirmed, see posters & facebook updates.
If you or your local group would like to be involved in any of these topics or events in the programme, then please get in touch.
Email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com
Alasdair Wylie,
Coordinator 01350 727361
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 22nd June, Royal Dunkeld Hotel, 7.30pm.
All welcome!
• The A9 Community Group has sourced funding to get going on a community-led stage of the process, the purpose of which is to find out more about what you said you care about in the Community Survey done last year.
• An Open Programme of events to inform & involve everyone starts in June. Please see above for information on the different events.
• If you or your local group would like to be involved in any of these events, please get in touch.
A full update on the information provided and discussions held at recent meetings is available on the “Bridge” website at: http://www.dunkeldandbirnamnews.co.uk/community-council/a9-dualling
We are very keen to hear peoples’ suggestions on how we can better communicate with the community! You can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com and at the facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group
Alasdair Wylie,
Coordinator 01350 727361
The next A9 Community Group meeting and AGM will be on Wednesday 31st May, Royal Dunkeld Hotel, 7.30pm
All welcome!
Please note: The Constitution of the Group provides for the election of four office bearers at the AGM: Coordinator, Deputy Coordinator, Secretary and Treasurer. Nominations for office bearers may be submitted to the Secretary before the meeting or at the meeting, to the email address below.
A full update on the information provided and discussions held at recent meetings is available on the ‘Bridge’ website at: http://www.dunkeldandbirnamnews.co.uk/community-council/a9-dualling
We are very keen to hear peoples’ suggestions on how we can better communicate with the community! You can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com and at the facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group
Alasdair Wylie,
Coordinator 01350 727361
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Wednesday 26th April, Royal Dunkeld Hotel, 7.30pm. All welcome! Thank you to all who managed to attend the March meeting and apologies for any inconvenience caused by the change in the previously advertised date.
A full update on the information provided and discussions held at the March meeting is available on this page.
We are very keen to hear peoples’ suggestions on how we can better communicate with the community!
You can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com and at the facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator
01350 727361
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 23rd March, Royal Dunkeld Hotel, 7.30pm.
All welcome! It was great to see new folk coming along to recent meetings.
Thank you to all attending for your valued input.
Key events since December:
December 2016:
• Transport Scotland (TS) announced the decision that the A9 Dualling between the Tay Crossing and Ballinluig was to be ‘online’, rather than the ‘offline’ option investigated last year. You can see the proposed route options here. (but it takes a while to download and its not that easy to read for some)
http://www.transport.gov.scot/system/files/documents/projects/A9%20Dualling/A9-Tay-Crossing-to-Ballinluig-Preferred-Route-Preferred-Route-Option-Plan.pdf
• A second draft of the Co-creative Process plan (for the Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing section) was received from TS. It needed further work especially to simplify process. Significant efforts were made to do so but the Community Group’s next version was not accepted by them.
• At a meeting on 16th Dec with TS and Jacobs, the Community Group representatives continued to feed back two concerns – that the process plan was not yet complete and agreed, and that the present document was too unwieldy to be an accessible communication (such as a leaflet) - a concern expressed clearly at CG meetings. This was a difficult meeting, however, there were some points clearly agreed and some constructive suggestions made.
http://www.dunkeldandbirnamnews.co.uk/images/A9_CG_Core_Group_meeting_with_TS__161216_key_points.v0.2.pdf
• In particular, the need for a facilitator to be appointed as soon as possible was agreed, to assist the design, delivery and completion of the Co-creative Process. It was agreed that the Community Group propose possible candidates as soon as possible; those referred by TS by then did not demonstrate particular skills and experience in facilitation or design of participative decision making processes.
January/February 2017:
• Members of the Group worked up a list, did some desk based research and explored availability of two candidates recommended. A preferred candidate with facilitation as well as other key skills and experience emerged.
• A proposal paper for facilitation “next steps” for discussion with Transport Scotland went through due process and agreement with the Community Group at its January meeting. It has also been shared with “Planning Aid for Scotland”, with whom both CG representatives and TS are in touch, to see if they can play a role in the process.
• A request for a meeting between the Project Manager and the Co-ordinator of the Community Group was made in mid January to establish how we could urgently move forward more constructively and positively to the next steps. This took place on 7th Feb and it was hoped that a next meeting would be in the week beginning 20th Feb.
Tay Crossing to Ballinluig A9 Exhibitions
• A public exhibition on current proposals was to have been held on 15th and 16th Feb in the Mid-Atholl Hall, Ballinluig. If any residents did not receive notification of the exhibition, please contact the Secretary and also Jacobs/Transport Scotland. The web link for the event circulated by them first was not working, but was fixed and you will find details here: http://www.transport.gov.scot/project/a9-tay-crossing-ballinluig
For the latest news update please go the The Bridge website at http://www.dunkeldandbirnamnews.co.uk/community-council/a9-dualling or contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com, or at the facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group.
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
A9 Dualling Programme: Perth to Inverness
Tay Crossing to Ballinluig Preferred Route Public Exhibitions
Following the announcement of the Preferred Corridor and Route Decision on 5 December 2016, public exhibitions are being held on 15 and 16 February 2017. These exhibitions will give local communities and road users the opportunity to see and comment on the outcome of the route option assessment work and the preferred option for the Tay Crossing to
Ballinluig dualling project – part of the A9 Dualling Programme.
Transport Scotland officials and design consultants will be on hand to discuss the preferred option and answer any questions.
Details of the public exhibitions are as follows:
|
Date |
Time |
Venue |
|
Wednesday 15 February 2017 |
12:00 – 19:00 |
Mid Atholl Hall, Ballinluig |
|
Thursday 16 February 2017 |
11:00 – 15:00 |
Mid Atholl Hall, Ballinluig |
For further information, please visit
http://www.transport.gov.scot/project/a9-dualling-perth-inverness
Sarah Morgan – Stakeholder Manager
Jacobs Infrastructure UK Ltd
Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group - Working constructively to get the best community outcomes from the A9 dualling proposals
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 23rd February, venue tbc, 7.30pm. All welcome!
For the latest news update please check this page or contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com, or at the facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group.
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator, 01350 727361
The Community Council has received a letter from Jacobs in response to the detailed submission to Transport Scotland compiled by the A9 Working Group on behalf of the council.
Click here to view the letter.
A9 Dualling Perth to Inverness, Tay Crossing to Ballinluig – Preferred Corridor and Route Decision
Following assessment work on the online and offline options for the Tay Crossing to Ballinluig dualling project, it has been confirmed that the preferred option for dualling that section will comprise online widening of the A9.
Supporting documents including a plan showing the route can be viewed on Transport Scotland’s website at http://www.transport.gov.scot/project/a9-tay-crossing-ballinluig
Sarah Morgan – Stakeholder Manager
Jacobs Infrastructure UK Ltd
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 15th December at Little Dunkeld Kirk, 7.30pm. There will be a discussion about the latest version of the plan for the new Co-creative Community Engagement process, which will be circulated before the meeting. All welcome!
The following Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 26th January 2017, same place and time.
The Constitution of the Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group, adopted at the CG meeting of 25th August 2016, provides for the election of the following office bearers:
a) Coordinator
b) Deputy Coordinator
c) Secretary
d) Treasurer
The election will be conducted at the next A9 Community Group meeting on Thursday 24th November, 7:30pm at Little Dunkeld Kirk.
Nominations for the office bearer positions can be sent to the Secretary at this email address at any time up to the date of this meeting. Nominations will be accepted from the floor at the meeting if none have been submitted in advance.
Key activities since October:
Co-Creative Community Engagement plan : Transport Scotland gave a broad acceptance of our proposal and of the timescale envisaged (for the time being, regarding the section from Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing) at a meeting in Birnam on 6th October, a major step forward.
Their first draft engagement plan with timescale was circulated to all Community Group members and discussed at the 27th October CG meeting, returned to Transport Scotland with comments and suggested edits and discussed again with them at a small group meeting on 7th November.
TS will have responded with a further version by 18th November which was discussed at the 24th November Community Group meeting. Further comments and suggested edits were returned to TS and are being discussed at a small group meeting in Birnam in early December.
The results of that meeting and the next version of the community engagement paper will be reported back to the 15th December Community Group meeting for further discussion and, we hope, finalisation.
We will keep everyone informed of developments by email and in The Bridge online.
Tay Crossing to Ballinluig section : At the time of writing (mid Nov) Transport Scotland’s advice is that a decision on the offline/online options is targeted for late autumn, “in the next few weeks”.
A9 Community Survey: The full survey report as well as the summary slide presentation are also available on the A9 Dualling page of The Bridge online. If anyone would like a hard copy, please contact us, details below.
MSP Briefings:We have continued to brief MSPs on the progress of meetings with Transport Scotland/Jacobs as well as on the community survey results, and appreciate very much the close interest they have taken in following up with Transport Scotland.
If you want to make opinions/feedback known to your elected representatives at local or national level, you can find out who they are and their contact details at writetothem.com
If you want to get more involved or get more information please contact us at email:
dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com and/ or come to the next Community Group meeting. Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group.
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 24th November at Little Dunkeld Kirk, 7.30pm. There will be an update on further discussions with Transport Scotland on planning for the Co-creative Community Engagement process, to which they have in broad terms agreed. All welcome!
Key activities since September:
A9 Community Survey: A well attended meeting on 15th September was given a first presentation of the main results of the survey, which had a tremendous 452 responses by 31st August and which has yielded a rich amount of information and opinion. A draft full report was shared at the Community Group meeting on 28th September and after further editing sent to Transport Scotland prior to meeting with them in Birnam on 6th October to discuss it.
The full survey report as well as the presentation are available on the A9 Dualling page of “The Bridge” online, link below. If anyone would like a hard copy, please contact us.
Thank you again to everyone who completed the Community Survey, helped at or stopped to talk at one of the pop up stalls, discussed with residents, and undertook data analysis and preparation of the presentation of results and of the full report.
Co-Creative Community Engagement proposal :
The proposal, sent to Transport Scotland at the end of August, was discussed with them and Jacobs at a meeting in Birnam on 2nd September and again at the 6th October meeting. (Copy also available at The Bridge online). At the latter one, Transport Scotland indicated broad acceptance of the proposal and of the timescale envisaged (for the time being, regarding the section from Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing); this is a major step forward. We expect to have a next meeting with them in early November to begin to plan the new engagement process and will meanwhile keep everyone informed of developments by email and in The Bridge online.
MSP Briefings:
We have continued to brief MSPs on the progress of meetings with Transport Scotland/Jacobs as well as on the community survey results, and appreciate very much the close interest they have taken in following up matters with Transport Scotland. If you want to make opinions/feedback known to your elected representatives at local or national level, you can find out who they are and their contact details at writetothem.com
If you want to get more involved or get more information please contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com and/ or come to the next Community Group meeting. You can also get information, documents and contact details for the Community Group at The Bridge website http://www.dunkeldandbirnamnews.co.uk/community-council/a9-dualling or at the facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group.
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator 01350 727361
Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group update - Working constructively to get the best community outcomes from the A9 dualling
There will be a Community Meeting on Thursday 15th September at the Birnam Hotel, 7.30pm, at which the results of the A9 community survey will be presented and updates given on discussions with Transport Scotland and Jacobs. All welcome! (Note: date changed from 14th Sept advised before).
Key activities since June:
Briefings of MSPs; Response from Jacobs to April submission by A9 Working Group; Technical meeting with Transport Scotland/Jacobs to review response and press for more meaningful engagement with community; Discussions with advisors on an improved engagement process; Continuation of leafleting for community survey; Pop up stalls in Dunkeld and at Birnam Arts; Discussions with residents closest to A9; Monthly meetings of Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group; Drafting of Constitution for Community Group; Regular meetings of Communications and Strategy Sub-Group Councillor and MSP Communications: Following constructive meetings with John Swinney MSP, Murdo Fraser MSP and Mark Ruskell MSP reported on in the June update, there has been a short verbal update to each of the MSPs and letters prepared updating them on the 29th June meeting with Transport Scotland/Jacobs and next steps proposed.
Meeting Jacobs/Transport Scotland: As previously reported, despite requests Transport Scotland/Jacobs had confirmed that they would not attend a public meeting. There was agreement to a smaller ‘technical meeting’ with the Community Group, which was attended by the Co-ordinator, Chair of DBCC, a couple of Comms & Strategy Sub Group members and lead contributors on each section of the submission that had been made in April. In the course of the meeting on 29th June it was possible to give just an impression of major outstanding concerns, remaining gaps and questions in relation to each theme (for example any assessment of health impacts), the stress, lack of awareness of residents (even immediately adjacent to the route) of the proposals (e.g. that junction proposals had quadrupled in the new proposals set out this year), and lack of provision of accessible information for all were all outlined.
Transport Scotland asked what was requested and directed to the headline request in the April Community Council submission (a request to which there had been no response) to work together to design a meaningful process to achieve workable solution.
However, as so much trust in the process had now been lost it was recommended that a proper participative process to deliver benefits for the community should be designed. This has political support and it was agreed that the Community Group would come back to Transport Scotland with a proposal and accompanied with a request to extend the timeline, should that be required. This has been sent.
It was explained that the community survey would be underway until end August and that survey outcomes and trends would be shared with the community, Transport Scotland and Jacobs in September after the survey closes.
Thank you to everyone who completed the Community Survey and/or helped at or stopped to talk at one of the pop up stalls. The survey will help inform the Community Group, but please do write directly to Jacobs/Transport Scotland as well with opinions, questions, concerns, ideas.
Feedback from door to door chats is demonstrating that some people, even those immediately adjacent to the route or new junctions, still have no idea about the proposals that will affect them directly. If you want to communicate opinions/feedback to your elected representatives at local or national level, find out who they are and contact details at writetothem.com
Volunteers to help with continuing pop up stalls will be welcomed.
Next steps:
Jacobs was trying to push a ‘participative’ process to take place to a very short deadline with a small number of people.
Meanwhile there have been urgent and thorough explorations on designing an appropriate proposal for better engagement with the community including dialogue with Planning Aid Scotland and a senior planning adviser. The proposal will have been discussed at the 25th August Community Group meeting before going to Transport Scotland.
If you want to get more involved or get more information please contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com and/ or come to the Community Meeting on Thursday 15th September, Birnam Hotel, 7.30pm.
You can also get information and individual contact details for the Community Group on the Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group.
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator,
01350 727361
The Community Group would like to express a huge thanks to those of you who were able to come to guided walks, meetings in June, or who have otherwise contributed so far. Huge apologies to anyone who has missed out on any updates due to technical problems with our mailing list – we are getting these sorted!
Following the Community Meeting on 18th May, and with support from Dunkeld and Birnam Community Council, the Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group (the Community Group) has now been set up to represent all those who may be affected by the upgrade of the A9 from the Pass of Birnam to Ballinluig within the community council area, and seek to get the best possible outcome for the community as a whole. Since the community meeting and ongoing through the summer, our big push is to get as many responses as possible to the community opinion survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/a9dualling as possible.
Please watch out for coffee mornings, street stalls and other activity happening throughout the summer promoting the survey, sharing information and hearing views. The Community Group has been gathering local knowledge and tapping into expertise to help interpret the maps and provide information that is useful and accessible. If you can help, with cups of tea or engineering experience, please let us know.
Jacobs and Transport Scotland have not yet fully provided the information requested at the Public Meeting in February or addressed the local issues they have been asked to consider in the submission from the Community Council. Members of the Community Group are due to meet with Jacobs, Transport Scotland, as well as some local MSPs, by the end of June.
Previously there was an expectation that Jacobs and Transport Scotland might return to do a follow up public meeting, but that request has been turned down. There will be now be no public meeting with Jacobs and Transport Scotland. The Group update from the smaller meeting at the end of June will be provided online, in the usual place: http://www.dunkeldandbirnamnews.co.uk/community-council/a9-dualling
In the meantime, you may be aware from posters and press, that a new offline option has been proposed on the east of the northern section (Tay Crossing to Ballinluig) which would affect the community particularly from Rotmell to Guay. Residents who would be adversely affected are campaigning against this new proposal, which would take both carriageways up the hill. The impact of the online proposals on the flood plain, residents and local business on the northern section also continue to cause concern. We can't emphasise enough how critical a time this is and how much your views count. Please share your opinions anonymously through the community survey; online or hard copies can be provided. This will enable the Community Group to best represent the views of the community.
Please do remember that if you have particular questions or concerns, it is helpful if you can share them in the community survey – but do not hesitate to also contact Jacobs on: A9dualling@jacobs.com directly so that your questions or concerns can be addressed as part of the formal process.
You may want to copy your thoughts to your MSPs and Councillors too. It is easy to find out who all your representatives are on writetothem.com Recommendations will have been made by the end of June and decisions on the proposals are imminent.
If you want to get more involved – please do! – email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com and/or come along to the Community Group meeting on Wednesday 27 July 7.30pm (venue tbc). We will hold a bigger meeting to update the community on Wednesday 14 September 7.30pm (venue tbc).
For further information, and to find individual contacts for the Group, please email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com or visit our Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group.
Robert Kelman,
Community Group
Walking the future A9
Two guided walks have followed the proposed routes and changes of the A9 dualling project and looked at the impact it would have on key areas around Dunkeld & Birnam. “I found both walks incredibly useful in translating what the plans will mean on the ground and I’m still coming to terms with the fact that the new Birnam junction will be taller than the current Ballinuig flyover!” said Lindsey Gibb one of the walkers.
For more information on the two walks and the additional one planned to specifically look at flooding issues on the northern section. contact: jesspepper@gmail.com or see www.dunkeldandbirnamnews.co.uk
On 18 May around 100 local people met in the Birnam Institute about the A9 dualling. The meeting, organised by members of a community working group, was to provide an update on progress since a public meeting with Transport Scotland in January. The working group are very grateful to everyone who came along and shared their views, donated and volunteered to help.
On behalf of the Community Council, the working group had put together a detailed submission to Transport Scotland outlining a range of concerns and requests. The A9 dualling will have a huge impact on many different aspects of the local communities, including noise, human health and air quality, flooding risk, ecology and the natural environment, public transport, non-motorised users, and culture and historic environment.
These local issues have not been considered properly in the process. Transport Scotland needs to agree a realistic process to work in partnership with the community to address these issues and then to revisit the options.
This is a critical time. According to Transport Scotland's timetable, the decision on a preferred option was to take place in June - this is not acceptable.
A9 dualling is going to have an impact on you and your community. Whatever you think you can offer, whether it's a donation, involvement in the working group, or your expertise as a structural engineer, you can make a difference!
• Complete the community opinion survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/a9dualling
• Go on a guided walk to look at various issues of concern on 30 May or 13 June at 7.30pm. Email: dunkelda9workinggroup@gmail.com
• Come to a meeting with Transport Scotland (date and time tbc)
• Join the working group, make a donation, join a mailing list, or contribute in some other way - Email: dunkelda9workinggroup@gmail.com
For more information, including the presentations from the 18th, visit the Community Council website or email: dunkelda9workinggroup@gmail.com
Robert Kelman, Member of the Community Working Group
Join the Dunkeld A9 Dualling Group on Facebook for regular updates.
Community Council Submission
The A9 working group has spent the last couple of months pulling together the submission to Transport Scotland in relation to the Pass of Birnam-Tay Crossing and Tay Crossing-Ballinluig sections of the project. This follows on from the public meeting on 8th February and the Transport Scotland and Jacobs consultation sessions. The document, which was submitted on 21st April, relied on contributions (and a lot of time and effort) from a large number of people involved in the working group. The key conclusion of the submission is:
“On the basis of the limited information currently available, the Dunkeld and Birnam Community Council cannot indicate a favoured option for these sections of the A9 dualling project. This reflects the strong feeling that the current proposals do not adequately recognise the complexity of dualling these two sections.”
The key themes in the submission, where we are seeking further information, relate to the overall character of the local area, potential for varying road standards in this area, noise, public health and air quality, flooding risk, ecology and the environment, public transport, history and culture and non motorised users. We are also seeking a better understanding of the decision making process and how the local community can continue to be a vital, cooperative part of such process. A large amount of supporting information has also been presented.
The document was sent to Transport Scotland and local councilors, and will be sent to other stakeholders and to MSPs and ministers (following the Scottish parliament elections on 5th May).
If you want a copy of the document, or any further information, please contact Stuart Paton (dunkelda9workinggroup@gmail.com) on behalf of the Community Council. We have also set up a Facebook page - click here or search "Dunkeld A9 Dualling" on Facebook.
Dates of forthcoming meetings will be provided on this website, through Facebook, The Bridge and posters.
Background information is available through the Transport Scotland website: http://www.transport.gov.scot/project/a9-dualling-perth-inverness.
A9 Story So Far - September 2019
A9 Co-Creative Stage 5 Final Report - September 2019
Whole Route Options - September 2019
Final Objectives December 2017
Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group Update October 2017
A9 Community Group Update June to August 2017
Next_Steps_Facilitation.Jan17.v4.pdf - uploaded 20th February 2017
Next Steps Facilitation.Jan17.V4 - Uploaded 9th February 2017
Report on A9 CG Core Group meeting with Transport Scotland/Jacobs 16th Dec 2016. - Uploaded 6th February 2017
Dunkeld & Birnam CC Final Submission
A9 Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing Community Council Meeting Notes
A9 Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing Technical Note 011 Rev01
Community Opinion Survey Findings - Full Report - October 2016
Community Opinion Survey Findings - Presentation Summary - September 2016
Birnam to Tay Crossing - Co-Creative Community Engagement Process
Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group - Constitution
