The Cross Tay Link Road will not be re-routed, despite growing concern about the health impact on residents at a new housing estate.
Perth and Kinross councillors voted on Wednesday to stick to current plans for the £113 million road and reject an alternative “northern” route.
It followed fears raised by the Scone and District Community Council, who warned that taking the road through the new 700-home Scone North development, as planned, will pose a serious risk to residents.
But local authority officers argued that changing the route at this stage will lead to a costly 17-month delay.
Professor Jill Belch, who spoke on behalf of the Scone watchdog group, said after the meeting: “They have put pounds before people.”
The CTLR, which will connect the A9 with the A93 and A94 north of Scone, was backed by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon earlier this year who pledged £40m of Tay City Deal funding. The ambitious project aims to reduce traffic in pollution hotspots in Perth city centre and Bridgend.
Addressing councillors on Wednesday, Ms Belch said: “How can it be considered right to take traffic that is causing pollution in one part of the city, and move it to North Scone?”
She added that pedestrian road safety in Scone North also needed to be considered. “We understand that these serious health and accident consideration will be balanced against the costs, including millions that could have been avoided by listening earlier.
“But we need to balance this against the NHS and social care costs that the council will bear in the future.”
She said councillors were being asked to vote on a “highly significant project with enormous potential health ramifications” without a complete environmental impact assessment.
“This is an odd thing to be asked to do,” she added.
Councillor Murray Lyle, leader of the Conservative-led administration, argued that air quality at the new Scone North houses will be addressed when deciding future planning applications.
He told Professor Belch: “This is a doomsday version of reality that you are portraying here.”
“We are not going to replicate the situation at Bridgend, which is a canyon with high sided buildings on either side.
“The buildings along this route will have to go through a planning process, which will take account of things like the canyon-effect on air pollution. I’m sure, given the planning regulations, we will have to set these houses back and make sure there is space between them to mitigate that issue.”
Tory councillor Colin Stewart, who earlier in the week had described the current plan as “stupidity on stilts”, raised an amendment against Mr Lyle’s motion, calling for councillors to support the alternative scheme.
“The northern alignment will still address air quality issues at Bridgend and in the city centre, but will better serve future residents of Scone North in terms of community links, active travel and air quality, and therefore overall health and well-being,” he said.
Mr Stewart added: “I had thought about laying down in front of the bulldozers, but I though that might be too much of an incentive to fellow members.”
His amendment was defeated by 26 votes to 11.
Strathmore Liberal Democrat councillor Lewis Simpson, who has previously spoken out against the Cross Tay Link Road, abstained from voting, saying he could not support either route.
