Publication - FOI/EIR release

M90 Broxden roundabout queue alleviation plans and timeline: EIR release

Published: 13 December 2023
Topic: Public sector, Transport
FOI reference: FOI/202300375312
Date received: 11 September 2023
Date responded: 2 October 2023

Information request and response under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004

Information requested

1. Please provide your latest plans that cover the alleviation of the ridiculous traffic queues on the M90 where it grinds to a halt at the Broxden Roundabout.

2. Please also provide a brief timeline of your management of this problem. ie when were you first aware of the problem and what have you done in the intervening period to do something about it.

Response

As the information you have requested is 'environmental information' for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.

This exemption is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

The answer to your questions are outlined below.

1. You requested the "latest plans that cover the alleviation of the ridiculous traffic queues on the M90 where it grinds to a halt at the Broxden Roundabout."

Under the terms of the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs (information not held), Transport Scotland is not required to provide information which it does not have. Transport Scotland does not have the information you have requested because at this time there is no current plan for any form of intervention or improvement at this location.

This exception is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception. While we recognise that there may be some public interest in information about the latest plans that cover the alleviation of the ridiculous traffic queues on the M90 where it grinds to a halt at the Broxden Roundabout, clearly we cannot provide information which we do not hold.

2. You asked for "a brief timeline of your management of this problem. ie when were you first aware of the problem and what have you done in the intervening period to do something about it".

Transport Scotland have worked with Perth and Kinross Council (PKC) for a number of years regarding the impact of development on the strategic transport network.

Planning Authorities are required to undertake a Transport Appraisal of the potential development options for their area, determine any potential impact to transport infrastructure and identify deliverable improvements in line with current planning policy including the National Transport Strategy 2, which you can view here, National Transport Strategy 2 | Transport Scotland and recently published National Planning Framework 4, available to view here, National Planning Framework 4 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

The Appraisal is to be undertaken in line with Transport Scotland’s Development Planning and Management Transport Appraisal Guidance. The Appraisal should inform the Local Development Plan and detail any specific mitigation required to transport infrastructure to facilitate delivery of the Plan’s spatial strategy in accordance with policy.

In 2017 our Operating Company, BEAR Scotland, began investigations into various engineering aspects of the improvements, such as lane geometry requirements and associated land acquisition, environmental impacts, installation costs and potential implementation timescales. Also at this time, as part of our ongoing commitment to road safety the most recent safety improvements introduced at Broxden included: updated signs and road markings, extension of a safety barrier, the introduction of vanes to restrict excessive visibility and the older street lighting columns being replaced with safer alternatives.

In 2019 BEAR Scotland drafted an interim feasibility report. This required the input from findings of geotechnical investigation surveys on and around the roundabout and approach roads to enable the report to be completed. A number of options were being investigated which primarily involved signalisation of the roundabout with works to widen the approaches and exit roads and the circulatory carriageway of the roundabout.

In 2020 BEAR Scotland commissioned Jacobs to design and supervise a ground investigation as well as prepare a Ground Investigation Report to support a design, buildability and cost refinement study to better understand the implications of any required improvements. Unfortunately this was delayed due to Covid-19 lockdown restrictions and recommenced when restrictions were lifted.

In 2021 the Broxden Roundabout Feasibility Study - Preliminary Highways Options Report was completed, please see Annex A, Parts 1-3 for a copy of this report. In addition to this, further traffic modelling was being progressed by Transport Scotland in consultation with PKC to determine how proposed options for improvement align with the development proposals for Perth and the surrounding areas.

As noted before, Transport Scotland is aware transport modelling was undertaken by PKC for their LDP which was adopted in 2019. This demonstrated that the cumulative impact of their LDP spatial strategy at Broxden roundabout was significant. The Council has progressed mitigation proposals identified at Broxden and design and feasibility work has been undertaken to refine the measures identified. Further information on this can be obtained from Perth and Kinross Council.

You can make a request for information under the terms of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 by emailing Perth and Kinross Council at foi@pkc.gov.uk.

In 2019, Transport Scotland commenced the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) the first review having been published in 2008.

STPR2 considers the transport needs of Scotland’s people and communities, and examines active travel (walking, wheeling, cycling), bus, ferry, rail and motorways and trunk roads as well as passenger and freight access to major ports and airports. These needs are reviewed from national and regional perspectives to reflect their different geographies, travel patterns and demands.

Notwithstanding the information above, please note that as previously outlined in this response, there is currently no delivery programme for improvement works at this location.

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