Joint campus active travel route fails to enthuse locals
A new, safer way for pedestrians, cyclists and wheelchair-users to access Lochgilphead’s Joint Campus is a step closer to being created.
But council officials have expressed their disappointment at how few people have engaged with the route’s planning process despite a series of workshops, consultation events and thousands of flyers being posted.
At a recent meeting of the Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands Area Committee executive director Kirsty Flanagan told councillors that consultation on the active travel route from the town’s Front Green had failed to engage much participation from residents.
In Ms Flanagan’s report to the March 5 meeting, she explained that the design process had been subject to a series of consultations with the public and other stakeholders.
“The results from the consultation show that 59 per cent of respondents were supportive of the developed design, however, it is noted that the number of responses to this consultation was low,” she said.
In the autumn of 2023, a five-hour long drop-in event was held at Lochgiplhead Baptist Church to share information about the project but only 25 people attended.
Ms Flannagan said: “Due to the poor turn-out to the drop-in event a flier advertising the consultation was mailed to the 3,967 addresses within the PA30 and PA31 postcodes. Despite all the promotional activities a total of 48 comments from 21 participants were received.”
In addition, workshops were held by the route’s design team with secondary and primary pupils at the Joint Campus and with users of the Lochgilphead MS Centre.
Presentations were also made to Lochgilphead Community Council and the Mid Argyll Youth Development Services.
Ms Flanagan told councillors at the meeting that some of the negative comments received at the consultation related to the loss of availability of on-street parking.
However, she highlighted the results of two parking surveys which were carried out, and said they indicated that the proposed changes to parking would be sufficient to meet recorded demand.
The new active travel route will see Lorne Street, Union Street and parts of Manse Brae and Kilmory Road being used as mixed traffic streets.
To make this safe, new lines will be painted, additional signs will be displayed, traffic-calming measures will be introduced and road-crossing facilities will be improved. In addition, paths and footways will be widened.
Local road officers are currently concluding discussions about bollards, signs and surface materials and expect to have this finalised by the end of this month.
To pay for the route’s construction an application has been submitted to Transport Scotland’s Active Travel Delivery Fund.
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