28th October 2011 : RoadSense welcomes Cost Hearing decision 

RoadSense today welcomed the understanding reached with the Scottish Government in relation to their costs for the forth coming appeal at the Inner Court of Session.

Link to Friends of the Earth Scotland - Charities welcome cap on costs for Aberdeen bypass campaigner

3rd October 2011 : Roads Inquiry Sham Revealed and Parliament Misled over true Bypass costs 

Evidence uncovered recently by The Herald newspaper shows that the Public Inquiry (PLI) into the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route was denied information that could, opponents say, have led to a different outcome. Information obtained using Freedom of Information legislation has revealed that Ministers were advised by Transport bosses of the escalating costs of the road before the Inquiry began in 2008. Ministers chose to ignore that advice and the Inquiry went ahead without the cost being updated. The government deliberately chose to exclude discussion of economic arguments at the Inquiry.

To read the full Press Release, please click here.  

31st August 2011 : RoadSense welcomes appeal lodged by William Walton against the judicial review judgement on the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route 

Following the decision by Scottish Ministers to proceed with building the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, RoadSense, a group concerned with finding a sustainable solution to the transport problems of Aberdeen, decided to challenge the way the chosen route had been decided. RoadSense sought a judicial review by the Outer Court of Session, in the name of its chairman, William Walton. This judicial review was unsuccessful and today papers have been lodged at the Inner Court of Session, to appeal Lord Tyre’s ruling.

To read the full Press Release, please click here.  

11th August 2011 : RoadSense Campaign expresses disappointment with Court decision to uphold Ministers’ decision to approve the AWPR – but says it is keeping open the option of a further challenge 

RoadSense today stated that it was disappointed at Lord Tyre’s judgment to refuse its appeal against the decision of Scottish Ministers to construct the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route

William Walton of RoadSense said: “We are disappointed at this judgment. We had argued in the Court that the restricted remit of the public inquiry into the scheme was fundamentally unfair to objectors. This judgment signals that Ministers can both promote schemes and determine the basis upon which they are determined. This hardly seems just. We still have an opportunity to seek an appeal to the Inner Court of Session and if we receive advice from our legal team that the judgment is unsound then we will have to look closely at that option and then consult with our supporters. Our opposition to the scheme remains unchanged”

Tony Hawkins of RoadSense said: “This judgment will surprise many people. It was accepted by the public inquiry reporters that the bypass would damage the European protected environment of the Dee Valley. Species along the route that are protected under European law will be badly affected. This is a sad day for the environment.”

Sheona Warnock of RoadSense said: “Many of our supporters feel they were not properly consulted on this bypass route and they will feel very frustrated and, even, angry at this judgment. We had always considered that the process of route selection was fundamentally unjust and unfair. Nevertheless, we will have to listen closely to the advice that we receive from our legal team and consider our options”.

To read the full Press Release, please click here.  

18th February 2011 : Aberdeen Bypass Campaigners Set Out Case Ahead Of Judicial Review Hearing 

Campaigners from Road Sense, have today set out the case that they will present at next week’s Judicial Review hearing into the proposed AWPR. The hearing begins on Tuesday 22 February 2011 and will be held at the Court of Session in Edinburgh. It is expected to last four-to-six days. To read the full Press Release, please click here.  

20th January 2011 : Aberdeen Bypass Campaigners Awarded Cap On Legal Costs 

Campaigners from Road Sense, the community campaign against the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route have today been granted a Protected Expenses Order by the Court of Session in Edinburgh, which will limit their exposure to potential legal costs at the forthcoming Judicial Review of the project to £40,000. The campaigners are challenging the lawfulness of the Scottish Ministers’ decision to grant approval for the proposed new road. The purpose of a Protected Expenses Order is to reduce the exposure to costs being awarded against litigants with limited financial resources who lose their cases. This allows these litigants to pursue cases that are in the public interest. The decision to grant a Protected Expenses Order to the Road Sense campaigners means that, should they lose their legal challenge against the AWPR, their costs will be capped at £40,000. To read the full Press Release, please click here.  

28st May 2010 : Freedom of Information Success  

The Information Commissioner finds in favour of RoadSense in it's complaint regarding Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) refusal to supply infomation about freshwater pearl mussels. To read the full Information Commissioner's finding, please click here.  

21st May 2010 : Bypass Costs top £100 million 

Road Sense has recently established that the money spent on developing the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route to date has reached the milestone figure of £100 million. The £100million spent consists of land purchases, ground surveys, consultants’ fees and other costs, but does not include any amounts for land acquired under compulsory purchase orders or additional compensation payable under the CPO’s, nor any construction costs. Road Sense believes it now impossible for the project to be delivered on budget, and it is likely the project will run hugely over-budget. The estimated cost advised by Transport Scotland to the Public Local Inquiry of £347 million would mean a cost per kilometre of just over £5 million, whereas a more realistic cost would be in excess of £25 million per km, Road Sense claim. To read the full version of this press release please click here.  

25th April 2010 : Campaigners To Challenge Ministers’ Aberdeen Bypass Decision In Court 

Campaigners from Road Sense today announced that they have instructed their legal team to lodge a challenge to the lawfulness of Scottish Ministers’ decision to approve the new road. The campaigners have identified a number of grounds for their legal challenge, including Scottish Ministers’ decision to restrict the scope and remit of the AWPR Public Local Inquiry and violation of the European Habitats Directive. The campaigners will release more detailed information on their legal challenge once the relevant papers have been lodged with the Court of Session in Edinburgh. To read the full version of this press release please click  here.  

19th January 2010 : Road Sense write to Aberdeenshire Councillors fully supporting Councillor Ford’s Motion 

Road Sense announced today that it fully supports Councillor Martin Ford’s motion to protect essential services such as education against the escalating cost of the road. Road Sense wrote today, to all Aberdeenshire councillors encouraging them to support the motion, which is tabled at tomorrow’s (Thursday 21st January) council meeting. To read this letter and associated press release please click  here  .  

18th January 2010 : Road Sense write to MSP's ahead of Scottish Parliament vote on the AWPR 

To see the letter click  here.   

Additional information for MSPs - Click  here.

December 2009 : ABERDEEN BYPASS DECISION : CLIMATE-BUSTING, BUDGET-BUSTING AND JUDICIAL REVIEW NOW LIKELY…  

Campaigners from Road Sense, the community campaign against the proposed Aberdeen Bypass (Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route – AWPR), today reacted to the Scottish Government’s decision to go ahead with the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route by claiming that the project will be both carbon-busting and budget-busting, and that they are now likely to go to Judicial Review. Click  here  to read more from this press release.   

Click  here to read the Scottish Government press release and related Local Public Inquiry Report.

December 2009 : ABERDEEN BYPASS WILL SCUPPER SCOTTISH AND NORTH EAST ATTEMPTS TO MEET CARBON AND CLIMATE TARGETS  

Campaigners from Road Sense and Friends of the Earth Aberdeen today (Monday 21 December 2009) claimed that the building of the proposed new road would cause the Scottish Government to fail to meet its climate change targets, and would scupper attempts by Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire Councils to cut their own carbon emissions.

Making their claim after the end of the Climate Change talks in Copenhagen, and in the run up to the announcement by Scottish Ministers on whether the proposed new Aberdeen Bypass will go ahead or not, the community campaigners claim that Scottish Ministers would be exhibiting a total disregard for their own targets to reduce greenhouse gases by allowing the proposed new road to go ahead as the Environmental Statement for the project states that it is expected to bring about a nine percent increase in emissions of carbon dioxide by 2026. (4) The Scottish Government is committed to a 42 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. Click  here  to read more from this press release.   

December 2009 : BATS COULD STOP THE ABERDEEN BYPASS…  

Campaigners from Road Sense, the community campaign against the proposed Aberdeen bypass (Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route – AWPR) today claimed that the presence of protected bat roosts in the International School of Aberdeen (ISA) could stop the new road being built as planned. Click  here  to read more from this press release. 
 

November 2009 : ABERDEEN BYPASS CAMPAIGNERS REACT ANGRILY TO HUGE COST OF INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL RELOCATION
 

The revelation today of the £51 million cost of relocating the International School of Aberdeen to make way for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route has appalled opponents of the road. Click  here  to read more from this press release.

Wednesday 19th August 2009 : Local Update Meeting – Kippie Lodge, Milltimber. 7.30pm – All welcome.
 

August 2009 : FURTHER DETAILS ON ROAD SENSE COMPLAINT TO EUROPEAN COMMISSION
 

Click  here  for further details about our complaint to the European Commission. 
 

August 2009 : ROAD SENSE WRITES TO THE SCOTTISH FINANCE MINISTER
 

Click  here  to read this letter. 
 

July 2009 : Scottish Ministers receive the report from the Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals with their conclusions following the Public Inquiry into the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route
 

June 2009 : ROAD SENSE NEWSLETTER
 

Spring/Summer update  with details of recent events. 
 

May 2009 : ROAD SENSE MAKES A COMPLAINT TO BOTH THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION AND SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT REGARDING BREACHES OF THE AARHUS CONVENTION
 

This convention protects our rights to Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters. Click  here  for further details (August 2009). 
 

April 2009 : ROAD SENSE SUBMITS COMPLAINT TO THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION
 

Click  here  for a summary document. 
 

Thursday 30 April 2009 : ROAD SENSE AGM

The RoadSense AGM will take place at 7.30pm on Thursday 30th April 2009 at Kippie Lodge, Milltimber.

This will be an important meeting to discuss the future strategy of RoadSense following the ministers decision, which could be announced as early as the summer.

Please put the date in your diary!

10 February 2009 : ABERDEEN BYPASS CAMPAIGNERS ASK PUBLIC INQUIRY REPORTERS TO IGNORE FINAL SUBMISSION FROM TRANSPORT SCOTLAND AS IT MISSES ITS FOURTH DEADLINE EXTENSION

Road Sense, a group opposed to the proposed Aberdeen bypass, has today (Tuesday 10 February 2009) asked the Reporters of the Public Local Inquiry into the proposed new road to make a formal ruling about Transport Scotland’s failure to lodge a closing submission to the Inquiry. So far, Transport Scotland has missed four successive deadlines set for lodging its final submission, and no indication has been given as to when the document may now be expected.

In a letter to the Public Inquiry Reporters, Road Sense has argued that, because of the continued failure of Transport Scotland to lodge its final submission, it has effectively waived its entitlement to do so, and any submission received from Transport Scotland from now on should be ignored.

Click  here  for the complete press release.

14 January 2009 : ABERDEEN BYPASS CAMPAIGNERS LODGE WRITTEN CLOSING SUBMISSION WITH PUBLIC LOCAL INQUIRY UPDATE

Campaigners from Road Sense, the community campaign against the proposed Aberdeen bypass / Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) have today (Wednesday 14 January 2009) just lodged their written closing submission to the Public Local Inquiry (PLI) into the proposed new road.

Click  here  for the complete press release.

12 January 2009 : ROAD SENSE PUBLIC INQUIRY FINAL SUBMISSION DOCUMENT
 

Click  here  for the complete document.