Link road part of ‘difficult and sometimes unpopular’ Council decisions

Start again: Controversial road plans

A revised planning application for a western link road into Elgin was one of the “difficult and sometimes unpopular” decisions that Councillors are required to make.

That was the view being expressed by the man who brought an ultimately successful proposal back to the Moray Council chamber on Wednesday to resurrect the £8.5million road plans.

Councillor John Cowe’s proposal found support from 14 councillors with nine opposing and one abstention, while two councillors declared a personal interest in the proposals and withdrew from the vote.

Councillor Cowe is chair of the economic development and infrastructure committee that last month voted in favour of sending the plans back to Full Council despite rejection at a planning and regulatory services committee weeks earlier.

While proposing that new plans are prepared and sent back through the committee structure, Councillor Cowe admitted that the proposed route of the road was never going to please everyone, adding: “We fully understand and sympathise with that.

“Nevertheless we as a council have at times to make very difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions which affect the few but ultimately benefit the many. This is just such a case.

“The western link road is the most cost-effective solution to increased traffic volumes and to the development of Elgin-south-west.”

The Heldon and Laich councillor added that despite the original application being rejected it was stated many times during the two-day hearing that doing nothing was not an option.

See also:

West Link Road plans go back on the council agenda 

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