Planning permission to be applied for Berryden Corridor Improvement Project
09 March 2020
Aberdeen City Council is to submit an application for planning permission for the Berryden Corridor Improvement Project next week.
A determination on the next stage of the application will be made later in the year by the Planning Authority.
The planning permission application follows on from various consultation events held with the public as part of the process to keep the local community informed of the scheme.
A public exhibition giving information was held in Sainsbury’s supermarket in Berryden in November 2019 along with and an accompanying online exhibition on the council’s website attracting about 1,500 interactions from the public. Other consultation events are being carried out with key stakeholders in the local community.
The project will be a major upgrade to the city’s roads network as Berryden Road is currently operating beyond its capacity leading to significant congestion and journey time delays, particularly at peak times. It will improve the efficiency of the road, cycleway and pavement network through improving journey time reliability, relieving congestion and improving infrastructure for walking and cycling.
The improved road builds on the benefits gained from the opening of Diamond Bridge, which has about 12,000 vehicles going over it daily, relieving congestion at the Bridge of the Don and the Haudagain roundabout, while further improving connections within the city.
Aberdeen City Council transport spokeswoman Councillor Sandra Macdonald said: “This is a significant development for the Berryden Corridor Improvement Project and is to be welcomed.
“The new road layout will improve the efficiency of the road, cycleway and pavement network, relieve congestion and improve infrastructure locally for walking and cycling.
“We’d ask the local community and people who drive or cycle in the area to examine the planning application and take part in the formal process.”
The Berryden Corridor Improvement Project is one of several major capital projects being undertaken by ACC as part of a £1billion transformational programme across the city, including the Diamond Bridge, the AWPR B/T, the airport link road, the TECA complex, the Art Gallery, and the Music Hall.
The process for compulsory purchase was started by Aberdeen City Council in 2018 and is still underway. The compulsory purchase order (CPO) for the Berryden Corridor Improvement Project aims to acquire the remaining land of about 100 plots required for the scheme, and the City Council already owns or controls about 80% of the land needed for the Corridor.
The Berryden Corridor Improvement Project involves widening the existing road and junction improvements between Skene Square and Ashgrove Road, and the construction of a new section of road between Ashgrove Road and Kittybrewster roundabout. The new improved section of road would have traffic light junctions instead of roundabouts, except for the Kittybrewster roundabout which will remain.
More information about the project and the online exhibition can be found at https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/services/roads-transport-and-parking/berryden-corridor-improvement.