A9 Co-Creative News

Outcome of A9 Co-Creative Stage 5 vote
a91 The results of the “Big Decide” voting (between 23rd June and 2nd July) were formally announced by the A9 Cocreative on 13th August.
The table on the left shows the results for each of the four whole route options A to D which were voted on by 720 people – many more than at any earlier stage of the process! The rankings by voters were aggregated into total scores for each of the four routes.
So, Route A received 37% of the total of all scores, with 45% of people who voted selecting it as their first choice.
Voters also expressed a clear preference for a full movement grade separated junction in the location of the current access to Murthly Castle, to the south of the present Birnam junction. This received 68% of the votes for junctions compatible with Route A.

A detailed paper on the background to the voting and the processing of the votes is available on the A9 Co-creative website at https://a9co-creative.scot/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/A9-Co-CrStage-5-Ranking-Summary-FINAL-.pdf
The “preferred route option” of the community is therefore:
• Route A, an upgrade along the line of the current A9 in a 1.5km long cut and cover tunnel passing Birnam and Little Dunkeld, with an at-grade roundabout at Dunkeld junction, a left-in left-out junction at the Hermitage and a full movement grade separated junction at Dalguise.
• Junction 1, a full movement grade separated junction adjacent to the current access to Murthly Castle, south of the present Birnam junction.
a92 Next steps
Transport Scotland is now undertaking further design and assessment work on the route selected by the community – bringing this up to the level necessary to inform Ministers when deciding on the preferred option for Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing.
Importantly, there will be further engagement with the community – in particular everyone who lives or works along the line of the preferred route - and opportunities to be involved before the route options stage of the project is completed.
The A9 Community Group will continue to work closely with Transport Scotland and will keep the community updated regularly. It is expected that the Ministers' decision on the preferred option for the Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing will be made by the end of 2018.
Thanks !
Meanwhile, thanks and congratulations to everyone who has contributed to and taken part in this important process so far.
This first ever planning and delivery of a co-creative process to help design an infrastructure project as significant as the dualling of the A9, and moreover for the most challenging section of this major road anywhere between Perth and Inverness, has been – in my view - a triumph of community determination and engagement and of focussed partnership working.
I would like to thank all of the partners in the A9 Co-Creative for their very hard work, everyone in the community who has contributed enthusiasm, time and expertise and all those who have participated in the successive stages of engagement and voting. That we have reached this milestone is testament to everyone's commitment to helping us conclude this stage of the A9
dualling project. We – and others I hope – can learn much from it.
Our special thanks to Elizabeth Leighton and Helen Stockham who supported the Community Group’s work and the co-creative process so ably since last autumn and whose contracts, funded by Transport Scotland, finished in July.
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If you want to get involved in the future work together on this or get more information please contact us at email:
dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com and/ or come to the next Community Group meeting on Thursday 25th October. You can also get information on our Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. And if you want, please phone me!
Alasdair Wylie, Coordinator
01350 727361