Author: Rhoda Grant

Highlands and Islands Labour MSP, Rhoda Grant, is ‘asking questions’ about the location of the traffic lights outside the Aldi store on Friar’s Bridge.

Having been contacted by a constituent about concerns that the lights were too close to the Telford Street roundabout, former Labour MSP, David Stewart, raised the matter with the Scottish Government in 2018/2019 however the onset of Covid in early 2020 stalled any progress and Mr Stewart retired in 2021.

Picking up the baton, Mrs Grant said “There are arguments for not moving the lights beyond the Aldi junction, however what concerned residents want to see are the lights moved back slightly, to just before the entrance to the Aldi supermarket. This would alleviate the concerns that drivers are focussing on clearing the roundabout while still leaving the crossing within an acceptable distance for people to walk to.”

Chasing up the matter with Transport Scotland earlier this year, Mrs Grant was told that “The existing pedestrian crossing locations between Longman Road Roundabout and Telford Street Roundabout will be reviewed as part of an Active Travel Scheme for improved pedestrian and cycling facilities along this section of the A82. It is programmed to investigate and design this scheme in 2023/24, with construction in the following years. Construction will be dependent upon available budgets and schemes need prioritised on merit against other proposed Active Travel measures.”

Mrs Grant contacted Transport Scotland again this month asking an update on this and if the investigation and design on the scheme has taken place or, if not, when it was expected that this will take place within the 2023/24 timeframe previously specified.

The MSP was told by Transport Scotland that “The active travel scheme between Longman Road Roundabout and Telford Street Roundabout is currently on hold as the Highland Bus Partnership are undertaking work to look at potential bus priority and active travel on the A82 Longman Road as well as supporting mobility hubs, or park and rides, using funding from Transport Scotland’s Bus Partnership Fund.” Transport Scotland further advised that since they last wrote to the MSP, “the extent of proposals being looked at have been refined and do not extend as far as the junction of concern” but “Transport Scotland has instructed BEAR to investigate and recommend what measures can be implemented in the short-term to alleviate the concerns”.

Rhoda Grant continued “I understand that feedback from a public exhibition held by Transport Scotland in the Cameron Youth Centre on 30 August 2018, highlighted that some of the 100+ people who attended the exhibition also voiced concerns about the closeness of the lights to the roundabout. The plan then was to include consideration of relocating the controlled crossing or upgrading the path underneath Friar’s Bridge and I will be keeping a close eye on the investigations that have been promised to make the area safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

Commenting after First Minister’s Questions, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar (seen here supporting the Fire Brigades Union Rally outside the Scottish Parliament this morning) said “Fire service cuts are putting lives at risk but the First Minister is burying his head in the sand.

“The Fire Service budget is set by this Government and it has fallen by 22% in real terms over the past decade, putting 780 firefighter posts are at risk.

“This would have an impact on response times and when fighting a fire, every second counts.

“In the past ten years hundreds of fire fighters have been lost.

“Now, a dozen appliances are being removed and the First Minister is ignoring warnings that his Government is putting lives at risk.

“When the single fire service was created the SNP said that it would, and I quote, not result in ‘cutting front line services’.

“It’s clear now that was either SNP spin or SNP incompetence.

“The First Minister must listen to firefighters on the ground about how to keep people safe.”

Notes:- 

Firestorm: A report into the future of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service https://www.fbu.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/FBU%20-%20FIRESTORM%20REPORT%20-%20FINAL.pdf

Highlands and Islands Labour MSP, Rhoda Grant, has described the evidence given to the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee this morning by the former Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment, Alex Neil, as ‘blistering’.

Mr Neil, who was appointed as Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment after the 2011 election, gave an overview of why they took the decision in 2011 to dual the A9 by 2025 and to upgrade the A96 by 2030 and advised how he asked Transport Scotland Officials to give him a realistic date of when the A9 could be dualled and was given the date of 2025.

He had responsibility for the National Infrastructure Investment Plan due for update later in 2011 and with regards to the roads budget, he advised that he looked at ways in which the SNP’s Manifesto commitments of 2007 and 2011 to dual the A9 and upgrade the A96 could be implemented.

The former Cabinet Secretary advised that he set a strategic objective for Transport Scotland and for the (Scottish) Government that at the earliest possible opportunity they should link the 7 cities in Scotland (at the time) either by dual carriageway or motorway. He asked officials to come up with plan to achieve that objective and asked for the earliest date the A9 could be dualled taking into account the physical and financial considerations of such a project including purchase of land etc. Mr Neil advised that he asked officials to be “realistic but ambitious”.

Due to the preparatory works that would be needed including the acquisition of land etc, they looked at the period from 2015 – 2030 for construction works to be done. Mr Neil advised that it was estimated that there was £14.7billion of capital funding unallocated at that time. He said it was a working assumption that the cost to dual the A9 and A96 was £30million a mile and it would take £6bIllion between the A9 and the A96 – 40% of the budget that was available at that time.

Rhoda Grant said “The former Cabinet Secretary emphasised that Transport Scotland officials assured him that, both physically and financially, it was perfectly feasible to dual the A9 between Inverness and Perth by 2025 and to upgrade the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen by 2030.

 “He stressed that road safety was a major consideration in the decision and he cited the 335 fatalities since 1979 and another 13 last year.”

Mr Neil has access to papers in relation to the roads during his period as Cabinet Secretary and on 28 May 2012, at his request, he received a detailed memo from a senior official at Transport Scotland which details the timescales for completion section by section. He strongly suggested the Committee demands access to this paperwork.

Mr Neil said he was extremely disappointed at the delays which is damaging to the Scottish economy and far more damaging to the Highlands and Islands that this well thought out project has not been completed, let alone completed on time.

Mrs Grant continued “When it was suggested to the former Cabinet Secretary that “something happened” and he was asked if there was resistance to the principle underpinning the decision from Transport Scotland or elsewhere Mr Neil emphasised that he asked officials for the date of when it could be done and the Finance Department, under John Swinney, confirmed the money would be there. He advised that there was no question in his mind that it was official advice that it could be done within the timescales specified.”

“Alex Neil said that while the pandemic could allow for a delay of a year or 18 months, up until then there was, in his view, “no excuse for having missed these deadlines.”

Mr Neil advised that he was reshuffled to Heath in September 2012 and Nicola Sturgeon took over the brief. He advised that one of the reasons he asked for a specific programme for each section was that he knows how bureaucracy works and you have to sometimes “nail down your advisors” to make sure there is no wriggleroom for excuses and delay.

Rhoda Grant continued “For Alex Neil to say on record that he thinks “there was a mentality, and it might still be there, that the Highlands and Islands was seen by some people maybe as peripheral.” is a shocking indictment on this government.”

 He advised that one of the reasons Inverness has become one of the fastest growing cities in Europe is because people were expecting the connections would be there and if the dualling had been nearing completion it would have been growing even faster. He stated that the A82 badly needs upgraded and connectivity between Glasgow and Oban needs to be looked at to open up Argyll. The former Cabinet Secretary said “The lack of ambition is mindnumbing quite frankly.”

Mr Neil said he double checked that what they were planning was well within the capital programme and had it been built on time, the costs for the A9 would probably only have been 2/3 of the projected £3billion budget but “because we’ve stalled, because we’ve delayed, because we’ve put it on the back burner, because we’ve betrayed our promise to the people of the Highlands and Islands, and Scotland, because this is important for Scotland as well as the Highlands and Islands because of all that when we eventually get to do it it’s probably going to cost up to £1billion more that it need have done because of these delays.”

Mrs Grant concluded “Alex Neil has laid bare his blistering evidence and his extreme disappointment at the delays and the lack of ambition displayed by this government. That disappointment is echoed throughout the Highlands and Islands and the Scottish Government must now make the dualling of this road their absolute top priority.”

I was pleased to support the Macmillan’s Coffee Morning held by Jackie Baillie MSP in Parliament this week helping keep Macmillan’s vital services running supporting people living with cancer.

I was delighted to join with colleagues in supporting The Yard when they visited the Parliament this week. The Yard support disabled children and young people (aged 0-25), and their families, through adventure play, providing opportunities for fun, friendship and a sense of belonging.

Regional Labour MSP Rhoda Grant persuades the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee to back Transport Scotland into a corner to ask why the A890 and A832 cannot be adopted as Trunk roads.

Today in the Scottish Parliament, the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee kept open two petitions in relation to the A890 and A832 which would see them both be adopted as Trunk Roads by Transport Scotland.

In a compelling submission Mrs Grant said that she couldn’t “stress enough how vital these links are” to connecting the Western Isles to Western Highland.

She rejected Transport Scotland’s submission and stated that she could not understand why these roads do not meet the criteria set out by the Strategic Transport Projects Review.

She then listed why she believes the A890 and A832 fulfils the criteria including access to hospital care, secondary education, tourism, farming, aquaculture and renewables.

Following Mrs Grant’s compelling submission, the committee have decided to keep the petition open and ask specifically why these roads do not meet their own criteria.

Speaking after the Petitions Committee Rhoda Grant MSP said: “I am glad that the Citizen’s Participation and Public Petitions Committee are continuing to pressure Transport Scotland on this issue.

“I suspect Transport Scotland and the Scottish Government are refusing to take on these roads is due to the cost of making this route safe as opposed to whether or not they qualify as trunk roads.  If that is too expensive for Scottish Government budgets, it is far too much for a rural local authority. However, the current status quo is not a sustainable option for the future so it is vital that we work past this impasse to reach a solution.”

Commenting on the Programme for Government published yesterday, in relation to the building of ferries, Highlands and Islands Labour MSP, Rhoda Grant, said:

“The First Minister advises that the Scottish Government will invest in ferry services to support our island communities and all those who rely on our ferry services, including continuing the construction of six major vessels.

“Two of these promised six major vessels, the Glen Sannox and the newly named Glen Rosa, have been rotting away in the Ferguson Marine yard since 2018 so I, and the Arran community who desperately await their arrival, would very much welcome their completion.

“Sadly there is nothing new in the statement for island communities. What is required is a ferry building programme for the future that would ensure that boats are replaced in time and we never face this fiasco again.”

Commenting on the Programme for Government published yesterday, in relation to the dualling of the A9 and the A96 and the Nairn bypass, Highlands and Islands Labour MSP, Rhoda Grant, said:

“The lack of detail in the statement is astonishing.

“The First Minister says his government is committed to improving the A96 – including dualling the road from Inverness to Nairn, with a Nairn bypass, and that his government will dual the A9 from Inverness to Perth but there is absolutely no substance to the statement with no dates or timelines given.

“It’s sweet words from the First Minister to try to appease the people in the north but only real commitment, in the form of a detailed timeline for these works, will go anywhere close to satisfying the communities who use these roads daily.”

Mrs Grant concluded “The launch of the procurement for the Tomatin to Moy section is welcome and we will hold the government to account to make sure we don’t see a repeat of the dismal failure to secure a contract previously.”

Scottish Labour has branded the oncologist shortage in NHS Highland a “scandal” as the Health Board reveals dozens of patients have had their cancer treatment plunged into chaos.

Yesterday at First Minister’s Questions Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar raised the case of Malcolm Graham, a 76 year old man in Lewis who was told his cancer treatment couldn’t begin due to a shortage of oncologists.

NHS Highland has since revealed that in total 78 patients are now without a consultant oncologist and can expect “delay and disruption” to their treatment due to this acute workforce crisis.

Chemotherapy has been suspended for anyone not under the clinical supervision of a colorectal oncology consultant, and 13 patients currently waiting for chemotherapy will not be able to start treatment.

The Health Board are currently “unable to advise our patients of when their chemotherapy treatments will be offered”.

NHS Highland raised this issue with the Scottish Government in April, but the government only wrote to boards this month saying a solution should be developed – with no indication of when this will happen.

NHS Highland have already sought help from other centres in Scotland, but they are also affected by a shortage of oncologists.

Commenting, Scottish Labour Health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said “This is a travesty for those affected and a national scandal.

“Cancer is Scotland’s biggest killer and swift treatment is key, but these patients are being left to deteriorate because of a workforce crisis the SNP let spiral out of control.

“This is the devastating reality of the SNP’s record – lives at risk and the very founding principles of our NHS under threat.

“The Scottish Government must act now and help NHS Highland through this crisis before patients pay the price.”

Scottish Labour MSP for the Highlands and Islands Rhoda Grant said “It is a disgrace that cancer patients in the Highlands and Islands have been so badly abandoned by the SNP.

“NHS Highland has clearly been sounding the alarm for months, but the SNP government doesn’t seem to grasp that this is a matter of life and death.

“The Scottish Government must show some leadership and work with NHS Highland to deal with this crisis and get these life-saving services running again.”

Highlands and Islands Labour MSP, Rhoda Grant, has welcomed the news that permanent works will be carried out next month to prohibit right turns from the B9161 Munlochy junction onto the A9 north.

A permanent traffic island and signage will be installed to replace the temporary arrangement that is in place currently. The work is scheduled to be carried out between Monday 3^rd July and Friday 21^st July.

Mrs Grant, who pushed for safety improvements at the junction, said “I know neighbouring communities and everyone who uses this road will be pleased to see this work take place.

“Too many lives have been lost at the junction and I hope these improvements will go some way to making the area safer for everyone who uses the road.”