Introduction

Purpose of the Report

The Preferred Route for the Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing section of the A9 Dualling Programme was announced by The Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition on 20th December 2023 (Appendix A). The consultation process commenced with a virtual exhibition launched alongside the announcement with in-person Public Exhibition held on 29th and 30th January 2024 at Birnam Arts and Conference Centre. The aims of the exhibitions were to provide local communities, stakeholders and road users the opportunity to view and comment on the outcome of the route option assessment work.

This report provides details of the consultation process and summarises key findings and feedback received from the public. The findings of this document will be used, along with other design and assessment work, to inform future decision making for the Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing section of the A9 Dualling Programme.

This document aims to accurately reflect the feedback received during the consultation. It is not an endorsement or criticism of any of the specific views expressed by respondents to the consultation.

Scheme Background

On 6th December 2011, the Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment launched the Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP), which provides an overview of the Scottish Government’s plans for infrastructure investment over the coming decades. Contained within the document is a commitment to complete the dualling of the A9 between Perth and Inverness. The IIP commitment builds on work undertaken in the Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR) in 2008, which identified dualling of the A9 as a priority Trunk Road intervention.

The A9 Dualling between Perth and Inverness comprises the upgrading of approximately 129km of single carriageway, including all ancillary and associated works.

In August 2014, Jacobs was awarded a contract to develop the design of a section of the A9 Dualling Programme between the Pass of Birnam and Glen Garry. This section is split up into four individual projects for the design stages of which, Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing (approximately 8.4km) is the subject of this consultation.

Transport Scotland, in partnership with the Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group, undertook an A9 Co-Creative Process in 2018. This involved the community suggesting ideas for the A9 Dualling for the Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing project. The process was open to everyone, and the Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group has been involved in each stage of the process. The A9 Co-Creative Process consisted of five stages, beginning in January 2018 and concluding in July 2018, with the identification of the Community’s Preferred Route Option (CPRO), which was presented at a public consultation event in March 2019 along with the outcome of initial assessment work.

Following the conclusion of the A9 Co-Creative Process, scoping work was undertaken on the CPRO. The scoping work identified a number of challenges as well as highlighting concerns raised by key stakeholders and some local residents living alongside the A9. As a result of the challenges identified, many of which are difficult to mitigate, three additional route options were developed by Jacobs to be considered alongside the CPRO within the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) Stage 2 assessment.

As the dualling of the A9 requires the Scottish Government to compulsory purchase land from private individuals, land take and the impacts on any individual that the dualling may create, both in the short-term construction and the life of the road, must be justifiable. The inclusion of these additional options in the formal route options assessment (DMRB Stage 2 assessment) ensured that the assessment process was robust and that decisions were made in full consideration of the choices available and that the Preferred Route is defendable through the statutory process.

The Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing section has recently completed the DMRB Stage 2 assessment, which was the appraisal of four whole route options, leading to the recommendation of a Preferred Route. The aim of the DMRB Stage 2 assessment was to identify the factors to be taken into account when choosing alternative routes or improvement schemes, and to identify the environmental, engineering, economic and traffic benefits and constraints associated with those routes or schemes.

Based on the findings of the DMRB Stage 2 assessment, and considering feedback from the public and other stakeholders, the Preferred Route for the Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing section of the A9 Dualling Programme is Additional Whole Route Option 3, Option ST2D. The key features of the Preferred Route include:

  • The A9 route is generally at-grade (same level as existing) and stays at the current surface level past Dunkeld & Birnam Railway Station;
  • The railway station will be accessible from Birnam via Station Road. The new replacement car park will have provision for both public transport and active travel facilities. A new pedestrian underpass, incorporating stairs and a lift, will provide a link for pedestrians from the car park to the railway station building and platform;
  • National speed limit (70mph) throughout;
  • Underbridge connecting the existing private access to Murthly Castle to the B867;
  • Grade-separated Birnam Junction just south of the existing B867 and Perth Road junctions with northbound entry and exit slips and southbound entry only slip;
  • A roundabout at Dunkeld Junction close to the current surface level (at-grade) providing connections between the A9, A923, A822 and the road to Inver;
  • Improved at-grade junction layout providing access to The Hermitage; and
  • Grade-separated Dalguise Junction just south of the existing junction with the B898 with entry and exit slip roads in all directions.

Public Exhibitions

The in-person Public Exhibition took place at Birnam Arts & Conference Centre, Station Road, PH8 0DS between 11am and 8pm on Monday, 29th January, 2024 and between 10am and 6pm on Tuesday, 30th January, 2024 and was attended by around 200 people, hosted by Transport Scotland and Jacobs. Following the conclusion on the in-person Public Exhibition, a feedback box remained in Birnam Arts until the formal closing of the consultation period on Sunday, 17th March 2024. Feedback forms were also left next to this box and were continuously replenished. The Virtual Exhibition also remained live until Sunday, 17th March 2024 and while the link is still active, a holding page thanking attendees for visiting remains in place.