Issued: 27 November 2003
Councillors Updated On Bridge Progress
Angus Council’s Infrastructure Services Committee considered a progress report for the new Montrose Bridge at its meeting on Thursday 27 November.
The meeting heard that the necessary planning approvals were now with the Scottish Executive for consideration, and that the timescales for these statutory procedures will mean the start date on the project being revised to March 2004 at the earliest.
It had originally been hoped to start the project in October this year, but the council was required by the Scottish Executive to carry out supplementary work for environmental impact assessment which has seen the start to the work delayed by around five months.
The contract for the demolition of the existing bridge carrying the A92 over the River South Esk at Montrose, and its replacement with a new bridge, was awarded to Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering subject to the council obtaining the necessary planning permission and other statutory approvals.
There are a number of consents required before the project can go ahead and in particular the necessary planning permission must be obtained via a Notice of Intention to Develop (NID) procedure since the council, as the local planning authority, cannot grant itself planning permission for one of its own projects.
There have been no objections to the NID, however there has been a delay in progressing the project as the result of a request by the Countryside and Natural Heritage Unit of the Scottish Executive, for further information and analysis to demonstrate that protected species and other wildlife would not be adversely affected by the project.
This assessment has now been carried out and the notice of intention to develop was sent to the Scottish Executive on 30 October.
The Scottish Executive, which can grant consent or call a local inquiry, has a period of 28 days to consider the application although an extension may be requested.
Convener of Infrastructure Services David Selfridge said: “The protracted length of time required to allay the concerns of the Countryside and Natural Heritage Unit was not anticipated and I now hope that the Scottish Executive will progress this application as a matter of urgency. The timescales required for the Scottish Executive to determine the NID and thereafter to confirm the Bridge Scheme are not known. It is hoped however that all necessary consents will be obtained by the beginning of February 2004, allowing a start to the bridge the following month.”