Born in 1946 and brought up in Cupar, Fife, I was educated at the local school - Sheriffhall Junction
7. Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an update on Transport Scotland's consideration of options for improving the Sheriffhall junction. (S3O-2513)
The Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change (Stewart Stevenson):
Transport Scotland has commissioned the consultants Atkins Ltd to investigate short and long-term improvement options for Sheriffhall. Short-term measures to optimise the performance of Sheriffhall roundabout without incurring the delay involved in publishing road orders, such as signal adjustment and localised improvements at the roundabout, are being considered. Depending on the nature of such measures, implementation will begin this summer.
Longer-term options that are identified as part of the feasibility study will be considered against other priorities in Transport Scotland's strategic transport projects review, which is under way and due to report in summer 2008.
Rhona Brankin: Coming just a day after the minister announced that the £115 million that was earmarked for the Waverley line has disappeared, and that my constituents will wait at least five years for trains to run on the Waverley line, his answer represents a double whammy for Midlothian commuters. Not content with delaying the Waverley line through 10 months of Scottish National Party inaction, the minister is no closer to delivering much-needed improvements—
The Presiding Officer: I believe that this question is about the Sheriffhall junction. The member should ask a question.
Rhona Brankin: If the Government will not set a timetable or provide funding for the Waverley line, will it at least do something for fed-up users of the Edinburgh city bypass, stop dithering and commit to a grade-separated junction to ease congestion at a traffic black spot that was recently judged to be one of the 10 most daunting junctions in the United Kingdom?
Stewart Stevenson: I will confine my remarks to Sheriffhall, as the Presiding Officer instructed. Once again, I encourage Rhona Brankin to listen and to read what I have previously said. We are acting—[Interruption.]
The Presiding Officer: Order.
Stewart Stevenson: We are acting immediately to seek to make improvements that can be made rapidly. We are doing that because we recognise the need to make changes at Sheriffhall. Members would, of course, expect us to consider the long-term needs of Sheriffhall too, which we are doing. [Interruption.]
The Presiding Officer: Order.
Stewart Stevenson: The member may not have had confidence in the strategic transport projects review that the previous Administration undertook, but I am sure that the SNP Administration will take community concerns very seriously, despite the member's loose and unhelpful language.
Transport Scotland has commissioned the consultants Atkins Ltd to investigate short and long-term improvement options for Sheriffhall. Short-term measures to optimise the performance of Sheriffhall roundabout without incurring the delay involved in publishing road orders, such as signal adjustment and localised improvements at the roundabout, are being considered. Depending on the nature of such measures, implementation will begin this summer.
Longer-term options that are identified as part of the feasibility study will be considered against other priorities in Transport Scotland's strategic transport projects review, which is under way and due to report in summer 2008.
Rhona Brankin: Coming just a day after the minister announced that the £115 million that was earmarked for the Waverley line has disappeared, and that my constituents will wait at least five years for trains to run on the Waverley line, his answer represents a double whammy for Midlothian commuters. Not content with delaying the Waverley line through 10 months of Scottish National Party inaction, the minister is no closer to delivering much-needed improvements—
The Presiding Officer: I believe that this question is about the Sheriffhall junction. The member should ask a question.
Rhona Brankin: If the Government will not set a timetable or provide funding for the Waverley line, will it at least do something for fed-up users of the Edinburgh city bypass, stop dithering and commit to a grade-separated junction to ease congestion at a traffic black spot that was recently judged to be one of the 10 most daunting junctions in the United Kingdom?
Stewart Stevenson: I will confine my remarks to Sheriffhall, as the Presiding Officer instructed. Once again, I encourage Rhona Brankin to listen and to read what I have previously said. We are acting—[Interruption.]
The Presiding Officer: Order.
Stewart Stevenson: We are acting immediately to seek to make improvements that can be made rapidly. We are doing that because we recognise the need to make changes at Sheriffhall. Members would, of course, expect us to consider the long-term needs of Sheriffhall too, which we are doing. [Interruption.]
The Presiding Officer: Order.
Stewart Stevenson: The member may not have had confidence in the strategic transport projects review that the previous Administration undertook, but I am sure that the SNP Administration will take community concerns very seriously, despite the member's loose and unhelpful language.
