MORAY COUNCIL SAY that they remain committed to resolving “as many issues as possible” with people opposed to the link road project in Elgin.
A workshop was held on Thursday that allowed discussion over potential changes to the plans for the road, which had failed to pass through the planning and regulatory services committee last year.
The issue caused controversy in Moray when the council administration refused to accept that would be the end of the plans, saying that reasons for that refusal would be revisited and new proposals brought back for consideration.
One of the reasons for refusal of the plans were that they had failed to reflect the principals established in the Scottish Government’s ‘Designing Streets’ policy.
However, a Scottish Government Reporter recently affirmed its commitment to the project when issuing a formal response to the Moray Local Plan, saying that the road was crucial to providing a second railway crossing in Elgin and would meet the infrastructure needs of an expanding local population.
A new planning application has been prepared by consultants and that was discussed with objectors to the previous planning application at Thursday’s workshop.
A council spokesman said: “The council is committed to resolving as many issues as possible with those who objected to the planning application in its previous form.
“All those that spoke against the application at the hearing were invited to the workshop and their input will be crucial to the final design.”
One of the people behind the campaign against the new road, Caroline Webster, insisted that they had only participated in the workshop “as long as it is noted we are against the proposals”.
She added: “What we were discussing was how to make sure the road would be safe if it does become an actuality. Although we are totally against it, if we can’t stop the road then we want to do as much as we can to influence the plans.”
It is expected that a revised planning application will be presented to the planning and regulatory services committee later this year.