A87 trunk road safety inspection records and drainage outfall records: EIR release
Information request and response under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004.
Information requested
The following information:
Part A - Safety Inspection Records: Lighting and Speed Management, April 2024 to December 2025
Please provide the following records for the A87 30mph section between the speed limit sign immediately south of the Isle of Skye Candle Company (approximately 57.4011°N, 6.2008°W) and Portree Filling Station (approximately 57.4096°N, 6.2024°W), Viewfield Road, Portree (approximately A87 Section 17465/60, or the nearest equivalent section covering this location), for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 December 2025:
Records of all Routine Safety Inspections carried out for this section during the period specified, limited to recorded entries relating to: (a) street lighting defects or outages; and (b) vehicle-activated sign faults.
If no such defects were recorded during the period specified, please confirm that explicitly and confirm whether this reflects: (a) that no defects were present during that period; or (b) that no defects were identified during inspections carried out during that period.
Part B — Cross-Carriageway Drainage Structures: Fisherfield Section
The A87 at Viewfield Road occupies an elevated position on a slope descending eastward toward Loch Portree. Drainage ditches on the eastern verge collect runoff from the hillside above and to the west of the carriageway. For this water to continue downslope it must pass beneath the carriageway at crossing points.
Please provide the following records from the Transport Scotland Asset Management and Performance System (AMPS) and any associated Drainage Data Management System (DDMS), for the A87 30mph section between the speed limit sign immediately south of the Isle of Skye Candle Company (approximately 57.4011°N, 6.2008°W) and Portree Filling Station (approximately 57.4096°N, 6.2024°W):
1. All cross-carriageway drainage structures recorded in AMPS or DDMS for this section, including culverts, cross-drainage pipes, and any other engineered structure conveying water beneath the A87 carriageway.
2. For each recorded structure: its location by chainage or grid reference, its asset type, its recorded condition, and the date it was first entered into the asset register.
3. All drainage outfall assets recorded in AMPS or DDMS for this section that discharge to Loch Portree, including the location of each outfall by chainage or grid reference and the date it was first entered into the asset register.
4. If no cross-carriageway drainage structures and no outfalls to Loch Portree are recorded in AMPS or DDMS for this section, please confirm that explicitly.
For clarity, this request relates to drainage conveying water from both the carriageway and adjacent land across or beneath the trunk road
This includes any historic or legacy drainage infrastructure which may no longer be recorded within current asset systems.
5. Completeness of Asset Records
Please confirm whether Transport Scotland considers the records held in AMPS and/or DDMS for this section of the A87 to represent a complete and accurate record of all drainage assets currently present or historically constructed within this section, including culverts, cross-carriageway drains, and outfalls.
If not, please provide:
- Any known limitations, gaps, or uncertainties in the asset records for this section.
- Any ongoing or planned work to identify or verify unrecorded drainage infrastructure on this section
6. Identification of Unrecorded Drainage Infrastructure
Please confirm whether Transport Scotland or its operating company has undertaken any surveys, inspections, or assessments to identify drainage infrastructure at this location which is not currently recorded in AMPS or DDMS.
If so, please provide:
- Details of any such surveys, inspections, or assessments, including dates and scope.
- Any findings identifying unrecorded culverts, drains, or outfalls.
- Any actions taken to update asset records following such work.
If no such surveys, inspections, or assessments have been undertaken, please confirm that explicitly.
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.
Response to your request
1. Safety Inspection Records: Lighting and Speed Management, April 2024 to December 2025
You requested the above records for the A87 30mph section between the speed limit sign immediately south of the Isle of Skye Candle Company (approximately 57.4011°N, 6.2008°W) and Portree Filling Station (approximately 57.4096°N, 6.2024°W), Viewfield Road, Portree (approximately A87 Section 17465/60, or the nearest equivalent section covering this location), for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 December 2025
Please see Annex A to this response for records of Routine Safety Inspections carried out for street lighting defects or outages; and vehicle-activated sign faults.
2. Cross-Carriageway Drainage Structures: Fisherfield Section
You requested "records from the Transport Scotland Asset Management and Performance System (AMPS) and any associated Drainage Data Management System (DDMS), for the A87 30mph section between the speed limit sign immediately south of the Isle of Skye Candle Company (approximately 57.4011°N, 6.2008°W) and Portree Filling Station (approximately 57.4096°N, 6.2024°W)"
Please see Annexes B and C to this response for information in respect of the Drainage road crossing for this section of A87.
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance Transport Scotland does not have some of the information you have requested. Therefore we are refusing your request under the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs. Transport Scotland does not have some of this information because there are no outfalls recorded in AMPS to the Loch Portree for this section of A87. The piped drainage system connecting the culverts below the A87 to Loch Portree will be in private land out with the trunk road boundary.
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 above information, clearly we cannot provide information which we do not hold.
3. Completeness of Asset Records
AMPS was developed for the current Network Management Contracts (NMC), a requirement of the contract was to validate all the inventory that was transferred into AMPS from the previous system and update asset attributes. Further requirements were to enter details of any assets visible on the network but not recorded in the inventory and, In the event of changes to the actual Inventory physically fixed on the Unit as a result of activity undertaken, update the Inventory contained in AMPS so that they reflect the actual Inventory physically fixed on the Unit. Therefore, AMPS should represent an accurate record of visible drainage assets and recently constructed or altered underground drainage assets.
Underground drainage assets that are not visible from the surface may not have been entered into or validated in AMPS, there are no current or future plans to identify or verify such assets
4. Identification of Unrecorded Drainage Infrastructure
You asked if Transport Scotland or its operating company has undertaken any surveys, inspections, or assessments to identify drainage infrastructure at this location which is not currently recorded in AMPS or DDMS.
BEAR Scotland, operating on behalf of Transport Scotland, has not undertaken any surveys, inspections, or assessments to identify drainage infrastructure for section requested which is not currently recorded in AMPS.
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Contact
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Central Correspondence Unit
Email: contactus@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000
The Scottish Government
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