Roadworks between Phantassie Roundabout and Bridgend at East Linton, East Lothian: EIR release

Information requested

Regarding the roadworks between Phantassie Roundabout and Bridgend at East Linton, East Lothian which is narrowing the road surface to create a new, wider pavement/cycle path and apparently a new grass verge. Please provide information under the following headings:

Budget

What is the budget for this work and the source of funds? Please also confirm whether the work is done to this budget or if it has exceeded the budget, in which case please confirm the percentage overspend (or underspend, if applicable).

Cost/Benefit Analysis

I would like to see the cost/benefit analysis carried out for this project prior to the work starting. Using the pedestrian and cyclist usage prior to commencement of the works as a measure, what is the expected unit cost (i.e. cost per user) for this work to be carried out and how is this expected to change after the works are complete? If you can split this answer into pedestrians and cyclists that would be good. Please ensure that the assumptions made in determining the post work usage is completely clear and unambiguous, and whether and how this is expected to be monitored in any way. How does this unit cost compare to that for the number of vehicles that use this road daily? There is no need to break down the types of vehicles for this part of my request.

Also, what is the difference in cost of outsourcing this work to a third party contractor, compared to using Council workers?

Impact Analysis

I would like to see the full impact analysis carried out prior to the work starting. I would expect to this to be a document detailing the following, in no particular order:

A survey quantifying the type and frequency of vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists which used the road and pavement daily, and whether this varied from day-to-day, week-to-week,

The number of times that large vehicles met similar vehicles coming the other way and whether they were able to pass each other safely,

A quantification of the time that regular traffic was likely to be delayed and the number of people that this work was expected to inconvenience each day for the proposed 9 weeks that the road was to be controlled by temporary traffic lights and whether this 9 weeks is likely to be exceeded.

Also has this been monitored in any way during the works?

The impact on the safety of road use and to timetables including delays to scheduled bus services,

The number of times that vehicles were parked on the carriageway each week, even for a short time, prior to the work starting,

Full details on the likely carbon footprint of this work given that production of tarmac is very energy rich, the vehicles and machinery being used are all diesel machines, quite often being left running for hours at a time and the impact on emissions for idling traffic waiting at the temporary traffic lights for the scheduled 9 weeks of the work,

Whether the views of residents of East Linton as a whole were sought prior to the work starting, since it affects virtually every resident in some way,

Whether the impact of costs to East Lothian Council for the ongoing maintenance of what appears to be space for a grass verge were considered,

Whether the geography of the surrounding area was taken into account, such as the roundabout, nature of businesses, domestic properties, overhanging trees, low bridges etc,

Whether the likely impact on the safety of all users of this area at specific times of the day, week, month or year e.g. harvest time or East Linton Gala Day was considered,

Whether the likely usage of the size of vehicles using the road area were taken into account in determining the width of the new road surface, given the width of the previous road surface,

Whether the petition raised on Change.Org regarding the reduction in the speed limit on the A199 and the likely narrowing of the carriageway to accommodate a cycle path (when one already exists) was taken into account before this project was started, since this work has a similar objective and effect and the previous one was met with disapproval by more than 800 people,

Finally, how many accidents, of any type, have taken place over the length of the area affected by this project over, say, the last 20 years?

Materials

How many tonnes of Tarmac and type one are being used in this project. Please give separate figures for the two components. How much diesel is being used to power the machines?

Approval

Specifically, who commissioned this work and who approved it, having taken into account having taken all the factors mentioned above. Please give their names and their position. In addition I would especially like to know why this particular section of the road was selected for this project?
Is this being seen as a “guinea pig” to see what the reaction is for similar projects?

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.

I enclose some of the information you requested.

Through the Scottish Government funded Sustrans National Cycle Network programme, £350,000 has been allocated to support the delivery of active travel infrastructure on National Cycle Network Route 76 in the area you highlight. This project is forecast to be delivered within this budget.

The accident records we hold relate to collisions where someone is injured or killed, and which become known to Police Scotland. Therefore, we do not hold data where a collision was damage only. One injury collision is recorded as taking place in the area you identified over the past 20 years.
This accident was classified as a serious injury.

Please note that any figures for 2024 are provisional as they are based on monthly returns received thus far from Police Scotland, with the most recent returns being received on 17th February 2025. This may be an incomplete picture of casualties up to that date due to a slight lag between collisions occurring and records being processed and shared by Police Scotland. These figures are also subject to change due to subsequent corrections and late records.

Under the terms of the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs (information not held), the Scottish Government is not required to provide information which it does not have. The Scottish Government does not hold the information you have requested relating to cost/benefit analysis, impact analysis, materials, and approval of the project. This is because East Lothian Council is the lead organisation responsible for delivery of this project. You may wish to contact East Lothian Council who will be able to help you further with your request for this information.

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 works taking place, we cannot provide information which we do not hold.

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