Latest news with #Nestrans
Press and Journal
6 days ago
- Business
- Press and Journal
Cash-strapped council pushed to AXE £3m Denburn restoration after grant snub
Planning chiefs are pushing for the £3 million restoration of Aberdeen's Denburn to be 'paused indefinitely' after they were refused a crucial grant. The restoration project was launched two years ago to make the ancient stream and surrounding wetland habitat more accessible to residents. Under the plans, the 1.5 mile stretch from the Den of Maidencraig nature reserve to King's Gate in the west of the city would have been enhanced. It was also proposed to re-meander the Denburn and create new footpaths for visitors to stroll along. And for the last two years, council leaders have been trying to work out how to fund the project – securing extra support from Sepa and Nestrans. But now, planning officials are recommending the project is kicked in the long grass after they were denied a £1.5m grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The local authority has already secured some promises of cash to help bring the project to fruition. Sepa pledged to pay up to £950,000 through its Water Environment Fund, however, this funding is time-limited and would be lost if the project is delayed. This is on top of another £250,000 which they gave the council for the designs. Money was also secured from Nestrans and bus lane fines for the new path works, which will also only be awarded if the proposal moves forward. However, planning chief David Dunne explains that if they don't find the remaining money needed to complete the project by September, they will have to refund it all. The whole scheme is estimated to cost around £3m – nearly a million more than initially expected. After securing the first batches of cash and joining with Sepa to develop the project, city chiefs were tasked with finding external sources for the final piece of the puzzle. The National Lottery Heritage Fund was found as the best match and the application was submitted in November – but refused just a few months later. Lottery bosses explained they preferred to give the cash to other projects and suggested the Denburn one would benefit from more financial support from the council instead. And now Mr Dunne has advised that it would be wise to shelve the project until they find other avenues to fund. This is one of four options drawn up by his planning team, which also include moving forward as planned despite the grant snub and scrapping the restoration altogether. In his report, he writes: 'The Den Burn Restoration Project is an active project with SEPA and is prioritised for funding with them. 'Pausing the project indefinitely will very significantly raise the risk of losing this existing external funding. 'However, there appear no other choices in the absence of match funding.' Members of the local authority's net zero, environment and transport committee will discuss the Denburn project when they meet next week.
Press and Journal
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- Press and Journal
New roundabout plotted for Toll of Birness as part of multi-million-pound upgrades project
A new roundabout could be constructed at the notorious Toll of Birness after a years-long campaign pleading for 'crucial' safety upgrades. This the latest ploy aimed at tackling traffic issues at the A90 junction known for being one of the worst accident blackspots in the region. It comes as a recent Nestrans survey shows there have been more fatal crashes on that stretch north of Ellon than on any other A-roads across the country. A speed camera was installed at the fork junction last year as traffic bosses looked at ways to improve safety and prevent more incidents. However, locals pleaded for a more long-term solution to the problem – with a recent petition calling for the upgrades amassing nearly 900 signatures. Nestrans has now compiled a list of options – including creating a roundabout at Toll of Birness and the Cortes junction – that could improve safety and cut journey times. The report was recently presented to the Aberdeen City Region Deal joint committee. The survey explained that there were three main problems that needed to be addressed – safety, journey time reliability and long journey times. Improvements are also needed to make traffic flow a bit easier during peak times, while also encouraging more people to use public transport. The Nestrans survey found that 85% of travellers would like to take the bus more often – but were only put off due to lengthy journey times. The long list of options was eventually narrowed down to four possible upgrades, focusing on the most problematic areas of the roads network around Ellon. Under this preferred option, lanes leading up to and exiting the roundabout would be improved. A bus lane would be created southbound leading to the A90 helping buses pass through the roundabout faster and ultimately reducing travel times. An acceleration lane on the A90 northbound exit would be added to allow motorists leaving the roundabout to overtake slower vehicles. This work is estimated to cost around £3.6m. Similar changes would be made to the Ellon North roundabout, with a bus lane added southbound on the A90 and a bus only slip road from Ellon to the A90 northbound. A cycleway will be added too, as well as an acceleration lane on both the A90 northbound and southbound to allow overtaking. This could cost around £3.8m. Meanwhile, the proposed roundabout at the Toll of Birness is expected to cost £1.9m. Paul Finch of Nestrans told the committee they also considered building a flyover at the junction, however, this option was not deemed 'beneficial'. A compact roundabout costing around £2.2m could also be added to the Cortes junction. Its design would be similar to the one proposed at the Toll of Birness, but smaller due to the homes at Lakeview Garden Centre and Cortes Loch nearby. Aberdeenshire Council leader Gillian Owen, who created and led the Why Stop at Ellon campaign, praised the 'significant' step forward. She said: 'This project is very dear to my heart. 'Connectivity is key and these interventions will be crucial.' The selected options will now move to a detailed technical design process and an outline business case will be drawn up for them.
