South Ayrshire Local Plan

Transport

Roads and transport are the responsibility of the Council in terms of roads, footpaths, verges, lighting and traffic management. The Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive is responsible for public transport issues. Trunk roads are the responsibility of the Scottish Executive.

The Council considers that an effective and efficient transport system is essential to the economic health of South Ayrshire. However, the economic benefits have to be viewed in light of the impact traffic and roads may have on the environment, including pollution, safety and congestion. These issues have been incorporated in South Ayrshire’s Local Transport Strategy and have been influential in the forming of this Plan.

South Ayrshire has a high rate of car ownership when compared to other areas of Scotland, reflecting both relative buoyancy of the local economy, and the need for personal transport in rural areas which are less well served by public transport. However, the Council recognises that a significant proportion of its population is dependent on public transport and will seek to improve this service. Therefore, whilst upgrading of the road network is required for economic reasons, the Plan also aims, through its land use policies, to reduce car dependency and the need for travel.

Generally, the road infrastructure and network is able to carry the level of traffic currently being generated although there are a number of specific locations where there are traffic volume concerns on the trunk road network – the A77 Whitletts roundabout being one such example. Some settlements, such as Maybole and other town centres are also adversely affected by high volumes of traffic passing through them.

Where the travel generated by a development results in a significant impact on the flow or safety of traffic on a trunk road, the developer will be expected to mitigate this impact. Such mitigation should initially focus on reducing the private car travel demand of the development, and only after all practicable measures to achieve this have been taken will infrastructure improvements to cope with additional traffic be considered. Infrastructure improvements to the trunk road network will be required to provide no net detriment to flow and safety. Developers will be required where appropriate to enter Planning Agreements to ensure delivery of mitigation measures.

POLICY SERV4*

The Council will review the transport network with the relevant controlling authority, to identify and implement, or encourage implementation of appropriate solutions to any problems on the transport network which may arise.

The location and type of new development can influence, and be influenced by, the type and nature of travel patterns. The Plan therefore aims to balance the need for development in the most accessible locations, with any consequences this may have in environmental terms. In this regard, the Council will promote economic development whilst also seeking to encourage provision of a wide range of transport options – especially cycling, walking and public transport.

STRATEGIC POLICY SERV5*

The Council will seek to ensure that land uses generating high density travel demands are supported by green transport plans and are located where frequent and convenient public transport services are available, or will be made available.

NOTE 1
The cumulative impact of development on the road network will also be given due consideration in terms of policy SERV 5.

NOTE 2
Developments which include provision for public transport maintained for 10 years or any other timescale, as determined by the Council, based on the scale of development and the likely demand for public transport use, may be considered to have met the requirements of policy SERV 5.

Increasing the relative advantage of using non-car-borne travel in towns can make a significant contribution to the reduction of traffic and local congestion. This might include the re-allocation of road space and altered priorities to favour public transport and help make walking and cycling safer. Such action may also allow environmental improvements which in turn, increases the attractiveness of the locality for additional private sector investment.

Traffic calming measures are not only relevant in town centre areas and the Council will continue to encourage such measures in new and existing housing areas as a means of increasing pedestrian and cyclist safety (especially in relation to safe school access arrangements) as well as a means of creating a more pleasant residential environment.

The Council, in its role as roads authority has identified a number of road improvement schemes which, if implemented, would assist in the efficient management of traffic circulation - especially within urban areas. This process of identification and implementation of improvements is ongoing. However, some improvements, which require the construction of new roads (not required specifically to serve new developments) have been identified to be undertaken as a priority.

PROPOSAL 3

The Council will, subject to funding, implement the following road improvement schemes:

Miller Road/Dalblair Road Link, Ayr
Murdoch’s Loan, Alloway

Whilst the Council will be able to prioritise a number of schemes for its own implementation, other schemes will require significant investment by other agencies. The Council considers that action will be required by these agencies to ensure improvement to the transport network as a whole. The priority large scale road improvements schemes included in the following recommendation have been identified by the careful consideration of two main objectives, these being the improvement of the environment, and the need to enable continued economic and business development.

RECOMMENDATION 1

The Council strongly advocates the following road improvement schemes and recommends to the relevant implementing agency that they be treated as priority schemes:

	A77 trunk bypass route for Maybole
	A77 trunk route improvements (route action plan)
	A77 trunk Whitletts Roundabout improvement

NOTE
The Whitletts Roundabout and development opportunities within Heathfield are given more detailed consideration as an integral element of the Heathfield Strategy (see Appendix II).