AN INTENSE AND long running campaign to force traffic to slow down through a Moray village has finally brought some partial success.
The local community council serving Brodie on the A96 has been campaigning for speed limit reductions through the village, pointing to the danger for locals and visitors – with one fatality and several near misses having been recorded in the area.
Transport Scotland flatly refused to consider a speed reduction, however, insisting that the current speed limit of 50mph was “deemed appropriate for the road conditions”.
Villagers refused to give up the fight, and through the Dyke Landward Community Council organised several public meetings to keep the pressure on the transport agency to take some action.
Now the Community Council has had a positive response in a letter from Bear Scotland that contains an agreement that the current speed limit would be extended on both sides of the village, with the aim that traffic will have slowed considerably by the time they drove through.
The Bear Scotland letter said: “Following discussions with Transport Scotland and Police Scotland we are looking to undertake the statutory process with a view to extending the existing 50mph speed limit in Brodie.
“I cannot at this stage give you an indication as to when the limit may be changed as it is subject to approval and objections to proposed change could be received however we will look to undertake the promotion of the order within the next couple of weeks.”
Chair of the Dyke Landward Community Council, Carol Shaw, welcomed the move last night, telling insideMoray: “The Community Council is delighted that it would seem the 50mph speed limit through Brodie is going to be extended to both the east and the west.
“Since reforming in January 2015 the CC has continually applied pressure to Transport Scotland and Bear Scotland to extend the speed limit signs at both ends of the village.
“As a Community Council we will continue to work for the betterment of Dyke Landward and are currently raising awareness of the application by the Cromarty Port Authority to allow ship to ship oil transfers in the Moray Firth.”
