A930 "Conchie's Corner"

To:  Angus Council

A930 “CONCHIE’S CORNER”
PETITION TO HAVE THE ROAD REALIGNMENT ACTIONED BY THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
AT RECENT MEETINGS HELD BY THE ANGUS COUNCIL, THIS ROAD HAS BEEN DISCUSSED. IT HAS BEEN AGREED THAT ACTION IS REQUIRED, BUT NOT TO BE ACTIONED UNTIL WIDER REPORT HAS BEEN TABLED.
ACCORDING TO ANGUS COUNCIL INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICE COMMITTEE REPORT 91/08, A SITE SPECIFIC STUDY HAS BEEN CARRIED OUT AND FEASIBILITY DESIGNS WITH BUDGET COSTS HAVE BEEN PREPARED. THIS ALONE HIGHLIGHTS THAT THE ROADWORKS ARE ESSENCIAL FOR THE SAFETY OF THE ROAD USERS
I BELIEVE THAT IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE TO RISK THE LIVES OF ROAD USERS ONCE YOU ARE ARMED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT A SPECIFIC SECTION OF ROAD IS DEEMED TO BE DANGEROUS. ITEM 3.6 OF THE REPORT STATE THAT TWO LARGE VEHICLES TRAVELLING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS CANNOT PASS EACH OTHER ON THIS STRECH OF ROAD. I ASSUME THIS MEANS THAT THEY FREQUENTLY HAVE TO CROSS THE CENTRE LINE OF THE CARRIAGE WAY INTO THE PATH OF ON COMING TRAFFIC.
WHY SHOULD THIS BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE, SURELY IF THESE ARE KNOWN FACTS THEN ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN?
A BIKER I KNOW STOPPED TO TAKE PHOTO’S OF A ROAD CLEANING LORRY THAT WAS VACUUMING THE CARRIAGEWAY, THE DRIVER SAID THAT HE HAS BEEN REMOVING TONNES OF SAND FROM THIS LOCATION. THIS ASPECT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN OVERLOOKED IN THE MEETINGS.
I MYSELF HAVE HAD THE BACK END OF MY MOTOR BIKE “FISHTAIL” ON THE SAND ON THIS ROAD, I WAS TRAVELLING AT AROUND 20MPH AT THE TIME. THE CARS WERE TRAVELLING FAR TO CLOSE TO ME ALSO, I’M ASSUMING THE DRIVER BEHIND ME GOT JUST AS MUCH OF A FRIGHT AS I DID.
HOW MANY NEAR MISSES ARE NOT REPORTED ON THIS SECTION OF ROAD?
HERE’S YOUR CHANCE TO TRY AND MAKE A DIFFRENCE.
PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME TO THE PETITION AND NOTE IF YOU HAVE HAD A NEAR MISS ALSO.
HERE IS AN EXTRACT FROM THE LOCAL PRESS RELATING TO THE LOCATION AND THE COUNCILLORS THAT WANT TO TAKE ACTION NOW.
SNP councillor Ralph Palmer urged the council to sanction the spending of £334,000 on realigning part of the road to divert traffic away from the trouble-spot.
He mounted his appeal after an earlier council committee voted to do nothing on the issue and instead wait for it to be looked at under a wider report on roads deemed dangerous across the county.
Mr Palmer warned of the “dire consequences” of not improving the bends, and felt spending the cash on realignment would be the cheapest way of dealing with the degree of risk to life there. “The do-nothing option is really not an option,” he said.
SNP Councillor Helen Oswald backed him, and said although figures showed there were six damage-only accidents there between 2005 and 2007; she was at pains to highlight a fatal accident in 2004, outside the survey period.
Opposition leader Councillor Rob Murray argued it was clear the corner required realignment and appealed against any delays to work there.
After Mr Palmer’s initial bid for improvement failed 15-13 in a ballot, he immediately tabled a move that the council spend £120,000 on a localised widening of the carriageway there, although visibility problems would still remain.
On voting being tied 14-14, his motion fell when Provost Ruth Leslie Melville used her casting vote to back the do-nothing approach.
Infrastructure services convener Councillor David May said he was personally aware of the issues and concerns at the corner, having driven along the A930 regularly and having had contact with locals.
He said it was clear from statistics that, since the A92 Dundee-Arbroath dual carriageway project was completed, traffic on the Carnoustie-Monifieth road had reduced.
While he saw the need for improvements, he felt it was right to wait for council officers to issue a wide-ranging paper ranking work to danger spots across the roads network first.
“I suggest that all members in the chamber note that there have been 28 fatal accidents on the local roads in Angus in the three years to last December,” he said.
“I therefore still feel we should wait for the wider report and, once this is ready, a decision with regard to priorities is made at that stage.”
I/WE THE UNDER NOTED BELIEVE THAT THE A930 “CONCHIE’S CORNER” SECTION OF THE ROAD SHOULD BE RE-ALLIGNED AS PER YOUR OWN FEASIBILITY STUDYS GUIDANCE. THIS SHOULD NOT BE LEFT UNTIL ANOTHER DEATH OCCURS OR AWAIT A DESCISION BASED ON YET ANOTHER REPORT. THE FACTS HAVE BEEN DISCLOSED AND SHOULD NOW BE ACTED UPON.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The A930 "Conchie's Corner" Petition to Angus Council was created by Road users and written by Barry Young (baz_young@hotmail.com).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.