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Campaigners call for renewed action on A947 proposals

Councillor John Cox has welcomed progress on the A947 improvement strategy.
Councillor John Cox has welcomed progress on the A947 improvement strategy.

Fresh calls have been made for Aberdeenshire Council to implement plans to overhaul safety on a notorious north-east road.

The route improvement strategy for the A947 Aberdeen to Banff road was described as a “starting gun for action” when it was published earlier this year.

There have been 10 fatalities on the 41-mile stretch of carriageway in the past five years.

Now campaigners have called on the local authority to speed up implementation of the proposals laid out in the report.

A list of 20 improvement options has been drawn up, including introducing overtaking lanes, increasing police speed limit enforcement and building bypass roads around some communities in the area.

Banff councillor John Cox is calling for more visible action.

He said: “There was a very comprehensive report produced. There were quick wins for safety such as grass cutting on verges, but we can’t highlight enough the dangers on the road.

“There is not a silver bullet – it is a combination of things. We need to set the wheels in motion on the plans.”

The SNP member said improving safety and journey times on the A947 has economic benefits including getting produce to market more quickly and halting the “displacement” of firms to Aberdeen.

He added: “I’m hoping to see a schedule of works – what has been done, what will be done and what is coming next.”

Fellow campaigner William Fulton, whose roadside house at Plaidy was hit by a car earlier this year, echoed the call for action.

“The council came and put a speed box outside my house for a week. One percent of drivers were doing over the 60mph speed limit.

“But those one percent can cause devastation. There is no deterrent without cameras. People are doing motorway speeds on this road.”

Last night a spokesman for Aberdeenshire Council said that the route improvement strategy includes short, medium and long-term projects.

“A 20-year programme, it will take quite some time for the major elements to progress,” he said.

“Shorter term actions are moving forward and an update to this effect will be presented to local councillors at a meeting on October 31.

“We also intend to keep the general public informed as the project moves forward.”