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. 
 

Wednesday 17 December 2008 : UPDATE MEETING FOR ROADSENSE SUPPORTERS
 
There will be an open meeting for all RoadSense supporters at 7pm at Kippie Lodge on Wednesday 17th December.  Members of the RoadSense committee will update you on the progess at the Public Local Inquiry and discuss plans for the next stage of the campaign.

We hope that you will be able to attend and enjoy some festive refreshments.

   
05 December 2008 : UPDATE ON PROCEEDINGS AT THE PUBLIC LOCAL INQUIRY INTO THE PROPOSED ABERDEEN BYPASS

   -  PLI scheduled to end next week, with closing submissions in January 2009
   -  Anti-road campaigners investigating complaints to Europe and potential Judicial Review

Campaigners from Road Sense, the community campaign against the proposed Aberdeen bypass / Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) today (Friday 05 December 2008) released an update on proceedings at the ongoing Public Local Inquiry (PLI) into the proposed new road.

The PLI is now in its fourteenth week and the Road Sense campaigners have presented all of their evidence to the PLI Reporters. The PLI is scheduled to end on Thursday 11 December 2008 (next week) with closing submissions being heard in January 2009 after the festive break. As yet, the date of submission of the PLI Report to Scottish Ministers is not known.

Over the past weeks, the PLI has heard an enormous amount of evidence on a wide variety of subjects. This briefing is designed to update members of the media on proceedings to date. Further information and more detail on any of the issues contained in this briefing can be obtained from the contacts listed at the end.

 
Click  here  for the complete media briefing.

08 September 2008 : ANTI-ROAD CAMPAIGNERS STAGE FLAMBOYANT DEMONSTRATION AT START OF ABERDEEN BYPASS PUBLIC INQUIRY
 

   -  Campaigners use shop window dummies to illustrate their claim that the Public Inquiry is just “window dressing” by Scottish Ministers
 

Anti-road campaigners will stage a flamboyant demonstration and photo-call outside the opening of the Public Local Inquiry (PLI) into the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) this morning (Tuesday 09 September 2008).
 
The campaigners, from groups such as Road Sense, the Scottish Green Party, Friends of the Earth Scotland and Transform Scotland, will use shop window dummies, floating dummies, and other props to illustrate their claim that the AWPR PLI is just “window dressing” by the Scottish Government.
 

Click  here  for the complete press release.

 
01 September 2008 : IMPORTANT OBJECTORS EXCLUDED FROM FORTHCOMING ABERDEEN BYPASS PUBLIC LOCAL INQUIRY BECAUSE OF ITS LIMITED REMIT AND SCOPE

   -  Narrow scope of what will be considered at AWPR PLI rules Friends of the Earth Scotland and Transform Scotland out from taking part
   -  AWPR PLI condemned as a “charade” and “window-dressing”

The narrow remit and limited scope for the forthcoming Public Local Inquiry (PLI) into the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) has ruled out a number of important organisations and objectors from taking part, including Friends of the Earth Scotland and Transform Scotland – the Scottish campaign for sustainable transport.
 
The AWPR PLI will commence on Tuesday 09 September 2008, and will run for ten weeks. The Scottish Government has stated, with regard to the scope of the AWPR PLI: “Having accepted the need in principle for the road, Scottish Ministers do not wish to be advised on the justification for the principle of the Special Road Scheme in economic, policy or strategy terms.” and: “Scottish Ministers have directed that they only wish to be advised on the ‘technical aspects’ of the route choice.”

This decision to limit the scope of what can be discussed at the AWPR PLI means that it will not consider the basic question of whether the project should go ahead or not. It is also likely that other important issues may not be discussed, including the project’s uncapped cost, its context within wider transport policy, and its relevance in the context of climate change and peak oil.
 
Click  here  for the complete press release.

23 June 2008 : ROAD SENSE ISSUES STATEMENT OF CASE FOR THE FORTHCOMING PUBLIC LOCAL INQUIRY

Click  here  to read the Statement of Case and click  here   for a list of documents.

3 June 2008 : PUBLIC INQUIRY CRITICAL DATES

The Public Local Inquiry (PLI) into the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route will begin on Tuesday, September 9, 2008 and is due to take place in the Cedar Suite at the Hilton Treetops Hotel, Springfield Road, Aberdeen.

Click  here  for a summary of the critical dates up to the PLI.

June 2008 : STONEHAVEN AND CHARLESTON JUNCTION LAYOUTS

The following images were taken from the AWPR website (www.awpr.org).

Click here  for Stonehaven Junction layout.

Click here  for Charleston Junction layout.

28 May 2008 : ABERDEEN BYPASS CAMPAIGNERS RESPOND TO SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENT CONFIRMING AWPR PUBLIC LOCAL INQUIRY

Campaigners to hold public meeting (this Friday 30 May 2008) to give details of arguments and evidence that they will present at the Public Local Inquiry into the proposed new road

Campaigners from Road Sense, the community campaign against the proposed Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR), will be holding a public meeting at 7.00pm on Friday 30 May 2008 at the International School of Aberdeen. Members of the media are welcome to attend. The public meeting has been scheduled in reaction to the Scottish Government’s announcement today that the Public Local Inquiry (PLI) into the AWPR will begin on 09 September this year.

At the public meeting, the Road Sense campaigners will update members of the public on recent campaign developments and activities, and will give details about the forthcoming PLI into the AWPR, including the arguments and evidence they intend to present.
 

Click  here  for the complete press release.
 

21 May 2008 : ABERDEEN BYPASS CAMPAIGNERS TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETING ON FORTHCOMING AWPR PUBLIC LOCAL INQUIRY - PUBLIC AND MEDIA INVITED TO ATTEND

Campaigners from Road Sense, the community campaign against the proposed Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR), have announced that they will be holding a public meeting on the forthcoming Public Local Inquiry (PLI) into the proposed new road.
 
- Event:   Road Sense – Public Meeting on AWPR PLI
- Time and Date:   7.00pm on Friday 30 May 2008
- Venue:   International School of Aberdeen, Milltimber, Aberdeen

At the public meeting, the Road Sense campaigners will set out their case against the AWPR as it is currently proposed, and rally support, activism and funding from attendees. Previous public meetings held by Road Sense have attracted many hundreds of people.

Click  here  for the complete forward planning notice.

 
12th May 2008 : ROAD SENSE CAMPAIGNERS DEMAND SCOTTISH MINISTERS RE-THINK ON SCOPE OF PUBLIC LOCAL INQUIRY INTO PROPOSED ABERDEEN BYPASS (AWPR)

  - Campaigners claim that the scope of the inquiry is too narrow and must be broadened

  -  Inquiry must discuss the principle and cost of the AWPR project - not just 'technical aspects'

  -  Inquiry should not go ahead until a complete and up-to-date AWPR costing is available

  -  If this does not happen, the inquiry will be "window-dressing" and "a cynical whitewash"

Campaigners from Road Sense, the community campaign against the proposed Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR), today (Monday 12 May 2008) demanded a re-think from Scottish Ministers on the scope of what will be discussed at the forthcoming Public Local Inquiry (PLI) into the proposed new road.

 
Click  here  for the complete press release.

 
28th April 2008 : Details of Pre-Inquiry Meeting and Road Sense Workshop, Thursday 1st May, 8pm, Corbie Hall (next to the Mill Inn Maryculter).

As many of you will no doubt have heard the Scottish Government has announced that Mr David Gordon and Mr Scott Ferrie have been appointed to hold a Public Local Inquiry (PLI) into objections against the proposed AWPR.

If you submitted an objection then you should have received a letter from the Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals.

Please click on the link below for an outline of Road Sense's intended role in the pre-inquiry meeting and the scope for you, as an individual, to represent your own interests if you so wish.

Click  here  for the complete outline.

17th April 2008 : CAMPAIGNERS RESPOND TO SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE PUBLIC LOCAL INQUIRY INTO PROPOSED ABERDEEN BYPASS

  -  But complain that they are still experiencing difficulties in obtaining relevant information

Campaigners from Road Sense, the community campaign against the proposed Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR), today (Thursday 17 April 2008) responded to the Scottish Government’s announcement of the Public Local Inquiry (PLI) into the proposed new road.

In a press release released today, the Scottish Government announced that a pre-inquiry meeting for the AWPR PLI will be held in Aberdeen on Tuesday 13 May 2008, and that the actual PLI will be scheduled to begin in August 2008.

Click  here  for the complete press release.

4th April 2008 : ABERDEEN BYPASS CAMPAIGNERS REACT TO DEMONSTRATION ON ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL FUNDING CUTS AND CLOSURE OF PUBLIC FACILITIES

  -  Campaigners warn that, if AWPR is built as planned, the massive cost to Aberdeen Council will lead to more cuts in funding and the closure of more public facilities.

Campaigners from Road Sense, the community campaign against the proposed Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR), reacted to today’s (Saturday 05 April 2008) public demonstration against Council cuts and the closure of public facilities in Aberdeen.

Click  here  for the complete press release.

19th March 2008 : CAMPAIGNERS FEAR MINISTERIAL “CAVALIER” ATTITUDE TOWARDS FORTHCOMING PUBLIC LOCAL INQUIRY (PLI) ON ABERDEEN BYPASS

  -  Campaigners welcome forthcoming arrangements for AWPR PLI
  -  But warn that PLI may be “nothing more than a shallow PR exercise”

  -  Campaigners brand Minister as “cavalier” and AWPR information as “unreliable”
  -  And warn that Ministers may u-turn on First Minister’s commitment

on PLI decision

Campaigners from Road Sense, the community campaign against the proposed Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR), today (Wednesday 19 March 2008) reacted to answers to questions and comments made by the Scottish Government’s Transport Minister, Stewart Stevenson MSP, during general question time at the Scottish Parliament last week – on Thursday 13 March 2008.

Click  here  for the complete press release.