South West Scotland Transport Alliance asks ministers for update on £8m promised for A75 feasibility studies as it calls for formation of joint UK and Scottish Government taskforce to drive forward improvements on roads
One of Scotland’s most senior business leaders says the case for upgrading the A75 and A77 has never been clearer.
Dr Liz Cameron, Director and Chief Executive of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, highlighted the need for action as a new series of calls to deliver progress were set out.
She said: “The A75 and A77 are two of Scotland’s most important roads. Yet they suffer from chronic under-investment which makes them dangerous, hampers economic progress and slows efforts to improve our environment. The need to address this is long-overdue.”
The South West Scotland Transport Alliance (SWSTA) has written to the Scottish and UK Governments, seeking assurances about the status of £8m promised by the Department for Transport toTransport Scotland for feasibility studies about bypassing Springholm and Crocketford along the A75.
In letters to UK Government Transport Secretary Louise Haigh, Scottish Secretary Ian Murray and Scottish Government Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop, it has also made a new series of asks to ministers to focus on how physical work can begin on improvements:
- For the UK and Scottish Governments to convene a ministerial-led special joint taskforce, including SWSTA representatives, to focus on action, drive forward priority improvements – and how Westminster and Holyrood will be able to work together.
- Set out a clear timetable for improvements for the A75 and the A77, detailing what work will take place and when.
- Create a UKG-SG funding mechanism which ringfences the money required to make that possible.
Those calls are reinforced by a new edition of SWSTA’s document, Safer, Greener, Better, which sets out the case for investment along both roads.
It has been updated following views shared at a summit on the roads held in Stranraer earlier this year and contact with senior politicians at Westminster and Holyrood since.
The document has been shared with Ministers ahead of Chancellor Rachel Reeves making th e new UK Labour Government’s first Budget next month (October).
Writing in it, Dr Cameron, who chaired the summit, described the stories of accidents and near-misses along the roads as “horrific”, saying that communities along them need to see “shovels in the ground”.
She added: “The case for investment has never been clearer. These are important routes to national and international markets.
“As they stand, however, they are also a material impediment obstructing plans to grow the Scottish economy and to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation in rural communities, making them cleaner, stronger, fairer and more sustainable.”
SWSTA is spearheaded by port operators Stena Line, P&O and Belfast Harbour, for which the A75 and A77 are key arteries through ferry sailings to and from Cairnryan.
In Safer, Greener, Better – which has also been shared with the ministers – they write: “The A75 and A77 – via the ports at Cairnryan – are among the busiest gateways to Britain and continental Europe. That makes the case to improve safety along it – saving lives, creating better journeys and reducing carbon emissions – one of key national interest.
“Far too often the case for improving the A75 and A77 has been wrongly viewed as a regional one. That could not be further from the truth.”
SWSTA counts Dumfries and Galloway Council and South Ayrshire Councils – along with the Chambers of Commerce in Dumfries and Galloway and Ayrshire – among its supporters.
January’s summit brought together about 50 community, business and political representatives – with many of the views shared highlighted in the latest Safer, Greener, Better document.
In the months since, SWSTA has been in contact with both the Scottish and UK Governments, highlighting the need for a routemap of progress for the A75 and A77 to be set out.
Two former UK Government Ministers – John Lamont (Scotland Office) and Lord Davies of Gower (DfT) – also travelled to Cairnryan to see the issues for themselves before the UK General Election.
Views expressed at the summit have also been raised by local MSPs in the Scottish Parliament.
An economic impact report published by Dumfries and Galloway, South Ayrshire and Mid and East Antrim Councils found that dualling the A75 and A77 would bring £5bn of positive benefits to the UK economy.
