Landowners in Highland Perthshire and the Highlands have been urged to consider how the dualling of the A9 will impact upon them.
Progress on Scotland’s largest ever infrastructure project is now accelerating, with the first of three large design contracts recently awarded by Transport Scotland.
The others will follow later this year. Compulsory purchase orders (CPO) may be extensively used to secure the land required and the effect of that is something that many landowners may need to consider.
A month-long programme of public exhibition events right along the A9 Inverness to Dunkeld route is under way to give local communities the opportunity to review plans.
Katherine Kerr, an associate with property firm Bidwells, believes they offer “a golden opportunity” to take a closer look at the proposals and begin to engage with the process early.
“In order to pave the way for this and several other major infrastructure projects planned for Scotland over the next five to 10 years, the Scottish Government has made a number of changes to planning regulations,” she said.
“To be in the strongest negotiating position, it is often best to take the initiative and start discussing access rights or financial deals before the official CPOs are served.
“Large schemes of this type can have significant impacts on businesses’ incomes both during and after construction, so local business owners should evaluate this impact early, plan ahead and build their case for compensation.”