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Orkney’s Finstown traffic management proposals get the green light from committee at second attempt

Finstown traffic
Proposals aimed at calming traffic problems in Finstown have been given the thumbs-up for a second time. Image: Orkney Photographic

Plans to calm traffic issues in Finstown have once again been backed by the county council’s development and infrastructure committee.

The same proposals were given the thumbs-up back in September – but were then sent back at full council.

The feeling was that the subject merited some more debate in the chamber.

However, after a seminar was held in early November and another meeting of the committee took place more recently, exactly the same set of proposals will once again go back to full council for final approval.

There has been no change to the proposals the committee backed in September.

The proposals backed by the committee:

  • New 40mph transitional speed limits on A965 East, A965 West, Old Finstown
    Road and Heddle Road.
  • Extension of the 40mph transitional speed limit on the A966.
  • Extension of existing part-time 20 mph limit on the A966 to cover a section of the A965
  • Extension of the existing 30mph speed limits on the Old Finstown Road, A966
    and A965 East.

The council will be keeping an eye on the limits and a report on their effectiveness will come back to the committee.

If needed, the installation of other traffic calming measures could then move forward over a period of one to five years.

These other measures include flashing speed indication devices, upgrades to village gateways, new pedestrian crossings, the widening of the footway on part of the A966, and other traffic calming measures.

While these are the same measures put forward last time, councillors seemed happy with the level of debate at the most recent meeting, which was described by committee chair David Dawson as “exhaustive.”

Are they sure?

That being said, there was still some reluctance to adopt the proposals from some corners of the chamber.

The council leader, James Stockan, had not been able to attend last week’s seminar ahead of the meeting.

He questioned whether the transitional speed limits on the outskirts of town would actually reduce driving speeds within the village itself.

Mr Dawson said the position of Police Scotland was that transitional limits have been proven to work in other areas.

Finstown traffic
The proposals would see transitional speed limits installed on Finstown’s outskirts. Image: Orkney Council

The council leader was also worried that the general public may not have grasped how far out the new limits would go, extending as far as the middle of Davie’s Brig in the east and towards the Harray Road junction in the west.

He said: “I have a concern that we do cause frustration. I have no problem reducing speeds. I would be delighted if Orkney’s maximum speed was 50mph.

“But, 40mph is a bit of a challenge for that length of road. Coming out of it, I think people will be getting to the point of frustration.

Lindsay Hall countered Mr Stockan, saying: “A little bit of driver frustration is nothing compared to public safety.”

Graham Bevan, the council’s convener, had been one of the councillors interested in giving the proposals another hearing

He initially said he would be putting an amendment forward today– although he didn’t in the end.

However, he added: “I’m very disappointed we’re not taking more measures as early as possible to resolve the situation.”

The findings will now have to go back to full council, the next meeting of which is due on December 6.

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