Safety worry over Rio works traffic

Jan 23 2009 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

ANGRY Perth parents yesterday expressed safety concerns over the council’s controversial Dundee Road project for homeless families.

They have complained to Perth and Kinross Council over site vehicles posing a danger to kids.

The council also stands accused of railroading the project through before basic road safety measures were put in place.

And following a meeting of the Kinnoull Primary School Council, the local authority was condemned for a lack of consultation on the Rio development.

School council chairman Marc Rands said: “Parents are not opposed to what they believe is a worthy project, and had no opposition to it being located in Kinnoull. But their concerns are prompted by it being located 10 feet from the school entrance.

“There’s been a lack of community consultation and we don’t accept being presented with a fait accompli.

“Despite the council starting working on this project back in 2007, parents were not informed until the end of December last year.

“Two of the community’s local councillors, Peter Barrett and Heather Stewart, were on the planning committee that approved the project in March, without seeking any views from the school or community.

“But the local community council and Councillors Jack Coburn and Archie MacLellan knew nothing about it until being informed by the school in December.”

Mr Rands continued: “When Councillor Barrett met with parents last week he refused to take any of our concerns back to the council, despite recently accusing MP Pete Wishart of failing to represent the interests of local people in connection with the City Hall.

“There has not been time for liaison between the school and agencies to develop appropriate risk assessments. Work on the site should not have started until this had been completed.

“Already site traffic is ploughing through parents and children as they arrive at school.

“Vehicles have arrived in the last two mornings, forcing parents and children onto the busy Dundee Road to get round vehicles parked on the pavement.

“That’s despite council assurances that site traffic would not be allowed access to the site during school drop-off and pick up times.

“The site traffic plan is not being adhered to. Works signage is not even up yet. And long-term implications for increased traffic have not been addressed.

“The Rio driveway opens directly onto the entrance to the busy primary school, where parents and children are coming and going. It presents a major health and safety risk.”

Mr Rands said that while the council would assess residents, parents feared problems posed by estranged partners or others loitering at the gateway.

He said: “The Parent Council is urging parents to complain to the council and their elected representatives over the lack of consultation.

“To ensure the safety of children, we want written guarantees that Rio will only be used for intensively assessed families. School security must be increased and road safety addressed.”

A Perth and Kinross Council spokesman said: “We have had reports that there were two incidents that did not comply with the agreed traffic management plan.

“Steps were immediately taken to contact the contractor to underline the importance of the plan being followed. We understand the incidents related to sub-contractors visiting the site and the contractor has assured us they will redouble their efforts to make everyone who works on or visits the site aware of the conditions laid out in the traffic management plan.

“To further reinforce the council’s commitment to this issue a member of council staff will attend the Rio site each day for the rest of the contract to make sure there is no vehicle egress or access during the times outlined in the plan. Signage is on order and should be in place by Friday morning.

“We can assure parents and local residents that we have taken quick action to make sure the traffic management plan is adhered to.”