Published on:
01
July 2020
The Council has been awarded investment worth £550,000 to deliver a programme of significant projects in Clackmannanshire to help residents access local areas and to allow businesses to re-open safely during Covid-19.
The programme of work throughout Clackmannanshire will be funded by Transport Scotland/Sustrans through the Spaces for People and Places for Everyone programmes with a further £175,000 funding from the Council’s capital programme.
A number of changes have already taken place, with more ongoing during the summer, to ensure the safety of residents as lockdown restrictions begin to ease.
In Alloa Town Centre, the Council have worked with Alloa First to put signs and banners in place to remind people to follow physical distancing guidelines to help protect against Coronavirus. In addition, East Vennel and Candleriggs have also been closed to traffic to provide a safe space for people to walk and there is also a partial closure of Candleriggs car park except for use by deliveries and blue badge holders.
To allow for the potential of outdoor trading, High Street and Mill Street are closed for vehicles but with access for deliveries, adapted disabled vehicles and service and emergency vehicles.
Physical distancing signs have also been put up throughout Clackmannanshire villages to help protect our communities against Coronavirus. Signs reminding people to respect other users will also be erected on our popular core path and cycle network.
This has included work to enhance pavements on the A91 footway between Muckhart and Golf Course Road and the B908 footway between Sauchie and Collyland which is now complete, with the pavement between Collyland and Alva due to finish soon. Work is also underway on the pavement between Menstrie and Alva.
To further enhance safety for people walking and cycling, an experimental 40 mph limit will be introduced on C101 Tullibody to Menstrie, B908 Sauchie to Collyland and Alva, B913 Lower Mains to Dollar and A907 Cambus to Arnsbrae. 20 mph speed limits will then follow on sections of the A91 in Menstrie, Alva, Tillicoultry and Dollar.
As part of work to help young people travel to school safely by walking or cycling, two new paths from Glenochil and from Sauchie are being constructed to link to Lornshill Academy. These will be three metre wide asphalt paths with street lighting, with both routes accessing Lornshill Academy via a gate and bridge just north of Ormiston Drive, meaning that once pupils leave Sauchie or Glenochil they have no interaction with roads.
Cllr Craig Holden, Spokesperson for Environment & Housing said: "I am pleased to see this wide range of practical work going on throughout Clackmannanshire to keep everyone safe as we continue to move into the next phases of recovery from this pandemic.
"While life has been very difficult for many residents, it has been great to see so many people getting around our wonderful area by walking, cycling or wheeling. The Council is working to ensure that we support this by helping to provide safe and sustainable access to our local areas for leisure and shopping.
"The creation of two new paths linking to Lornshill Academy are also an important way to help our young people have more safe options to get to school without having to use vehicles. Clackmannanshire Council thanks Sustrans and the Spaces for People Programme for providing the opportunity for us to prepare for the upcoming phases of the recovery."