Plans to introduce a raft of traffic calming measures in Lossiemouth lacked sufficient consultation with most residents completely unaware of the proposals.
That is the view being expressed by a campaign group and community leaders who are expressing concerns over proposals for the creation of a new housing estate in the Moray town.
Revised plans submitted by developers seeking to build over 200 homes at Sunbank have been branded as “unacceptable” by campaigners who were already angered at proposals to create access routes through two quiet cul-de-sacs.
The ‘Stop the B.A.D. Access’ group are protesting at plans by Tulloch of Cummingston to use Fisher Place and Halliman Way to access the planned estate, linking it with Boyd Anderson Drive.
In the face of fierce local criticism, the developers submitted a raft of alterations to their proposals that sought to alleviate the impact of their original plans by introducing traffic calming measures on Boyd Anderson Drive as well as the two cul-de-sacs. However, only a handful of residents who would be affected by the new measures were informed of the changes.
Speaking on behalf of the campaign group, Gillian Priestley said: “The scale of the changes will see extensive measures to calm traffic affecting almost all of the Coulardbank estate and as far as Elgin Road.
“The Moray Council seem to think it is acceptable for very limited neighbour notification with an early closing date, but the action group want a fully publicised advertised amended plan.
“It is our view and that of the Lossiemouth Community Council that the scale and impact of the amendments confirm the developers plans to be flawed.”
John Hamilton has lived in Halliman Way since building his house there 24 years ago. He said: “How can a professional developer submit plans which have many basic errors – such as incorrectly stated street and footpath widths and could not correct obvious wrong statements like the RAF do not fly at night?
“The proposed traffic calming measures would be a welcome challenge to the local boy racers.”
Former local councillor and another resident who would be affected by the changes is Robert Murdoch, who stressed: “We are not opposed to a housing development but the developer should stick to the existing Local Plan and not make a crude attempt to get an application on the cheap to the detriment of the Boyd Anderson Drive area and the wider community of Lossiemouth.
“We note the Lossiemouth Community Council have expressed similar views to our own, that Moray Council should stick to the existing plan and carry out a proper consultation for the good of Lossiemouth.”
A spokesman for the Lossiemouth Community Council confirmed that they raised the issue ahead of consultations on the planning application closing last Friday.
He said: “We looked closely at the many changes to the original plan and took the view that, while welcoming any measures that would improve road safety in our community, the traffic calming measures being applied for merely underlined our original view that access to the new development via Boyd Anderson Drive was flawed.
“It was also of considerable concern to us that no consultation study appears to have been conducted on the impact of the traffic calming measures on the local community. Such changes would have a wide impact on the entire town but very few were even aware of what was being planned for one of the major routes in Lossiemouth.”