Council bosses are being urged to insist on improvements to the Broxden roundabout ahead of the massive Perth West development going ahead.
The £500 million scheme was approved by Perth and Kinross councillors on Wednesday.
The project is expected to bring around 1,500 new homes, plus shops, businesses, hotels, a healthcare centre and school, to a 257-hectare site next to Broxden.
It could create around 2,300 jobs, plus another 3,000 in the construction phase.
Plans for a Perth Eco-Innovation Park are also included for the site – currently farmland between Broxden and Inveralmond.
And a ‘Perth Innovation Highway’ will connect the city to the A9 with £5 million of funding from the Tay Cities Deal.
Councillors approved the development in principle, for a second time, when the planning and placemaking committee met on Wednesday.
More detailed applications will follow as the plans progress.
However, much of the discussion was around the likelihood of “chaos” at the Broxden roundabout.
Councillors were told Transport Scotland has also requested a series of conditions to the approval.
Perth West will impact Broxden roundabout traffic flow
Perth City South councillor Liz Barrett addressed the committee when it met on Wednesday.
The Lib Dem member said the Perth West scheme was an exciting development for Perth.
In particular she praised the ambition to provide eco innovation and sustainable places to live and work.
However, she also urged councillors and officers to bear in mind the impact on residents, in her nearby ward and across the city.
“The traffic emissions and dust will impact residents in much of the Western Edge and
Oakbank, and those using the paths in the area on foot or by cycle,” she told councillors.
“It will also affect the flow on the Broxden roundabout where existing issues are well
known. And Transport Scotland do not yet appear to have plans to address
them.”
Concerns aside from Broxden roundabout congestion
Speaking after the meeting, she said: “The detailed plans need to ensure that the Broxden roundabout is upgraded and roads and travel routes are put in place from the beginning.”
She added: “Residents all over Perth South are justifiably concerned about potential increased flood risk, and all drainage plans to tackle this must be scrutinised.
“People should not be affected by disruption, noise and dust any more than they have to be, during construction or afterwards. I do look forward to seeing the detailed plans to address all these concerns.”
The scheme, led by the John Dewar Lamberkin Trust, was given the green light two years ago under the last council administration.
Perth and Kinross Council’s then planning and development management committee approved the application, subject to legal agreements, in June 2021.
This week’s decision was deemed necessary in order to satisfy a new Scottish Government planning framework.
Conversation