RESIDENTS are calling for work on a new active travel route to be postponed over concerns about the number of people who knew about the plans. 

A notice on the East Dunbartonshire Council (EDC) website about the A807 Auchenhowie Road Active Travel Corridor says work is scheduled to start on Monday, November 4 and is expected to see sections of the road shut for 19 weeks with the work broken down into six phases.

The works, which extend from just east of the Rangers training ground on Auchenhowie Road in Milngavie to the Allander Toll roundabout, will include widening the existing footway by utilising the existing grass verge, replacing the existing kerbing along the front of the footway and junction improvements at Dowan Road.

However, many people living in the area around where the works will take place, including the Fairways estate, claim they were "not consulted" about the plans and have called the consultation process "inadequate".  

(Image: Gordon Terris, Newsquest) A letter sent to councillors and signed by more than 20 people read: "The initial engagement involved only six events and a four-week online survey with minimal advertising and limited access for those without regular internet.  

"We feel this approach falls short of the expected standards for effective public participation, especially for a project of this scope and impact."

The council highlights that between February 5 and March 3 this year, the council sought the views of local communities with 306 people responding to a survey and more than 140 people also attended drop-in sessions in Milngavie, Balmore and Torrance.

However, residents highlighted that only 0.003% of a potential population of 46,000 in Bearsden, Milngavie and the surrounding areas responded to the survey. 

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A spokesperson for a group of residents, who asked not to be named, said: "We are disappointed this something of this scope is going ahead after a less than robust consultation period.  

"There are no discrepancies in terms of how they processed it, but it did not reach enough people."

Residents have been left "disappointed" that the council "has not been more prepared to engage" about extending the consultation. 

The group say while they support sustainable travel they are also concerned about the design saying there are "pinch points" where the project "fails to meet Cycling by Design recommended standards" and would require cyclists to dismount. 

(Image: Gordon Terris, Newsquest) The council confirmed there are sections with "limited opportunity" for widening the footway. 

The residents spokesperson said: "We’re not against an active travel corridor.  

"If it’s well delivered then it could be fantastic."

They added: "18 of us have been asking about that design flaw and so far nobody has been able to address that. They're going ahead anyway."

They further highlighted the project is “not fully funded” with a report dated May 23 stating: "Its delivery will require external funding to be secured."

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Cllr Duncan Cumming says at a meeting of the Place, Neighbourhood & Corporate Assets Committee on May 23 he spent "almost 10 minutes" asking questions about the plans. 

He said: "Following this exchange, I felt that the public consultation that had been undertaken by the council thus far, was inadequate and felt as I still do that the council should undertake far more extensive and detailed public consultation exercise throughout all of the East Dunbartonshire Council area."

He submitted an amendment to the Motion at the Place, Neighbourhood & Corporate Assets Committee that read: "The report should be continued to a future meeting, and that the Council should go back out and undertake a full, detailed, proper, meaningful and extensive public consultation throughout East Dunbartonshire Council area."

Cllr Cumming said: "Sadly, I did not receive any support for this Amendment from any of the other councillors.

"This really surprised me, since all I was asking for was that the Council needed to consult publicly far more extensively than it had done, up until that point."

Ann Davie, chief executive of East Dunbartonshire Council, says the public consultation was advertised "in several ways" including a press release, social media messaging, on street advertising and via local community groups and businesses. 

She said: "Of the people who completed the survey, 66% supported the aims of the project.

"In total, 122 respondents were from the Bearsden and Milngavie areas along with 110 from other communities along the A807. 

"The concept designs aim to align with the national Cycling by Design guidance.

"Short sections have been identified as having limited opportunities for widening the footway due to existing structures, however, work is ongoing to develop options to minimise the length of those sections. 

She continued: "The project is supported by external funding, with the upcoming construction phase funded through Transport Scotland’s Active Travel Infrastructure Fund.

"A pipeline of construction phases will be prepared for future funding opportunities."

A community feedback survey on the active travel corridor that was set up by residents has so far gathered more than 710 responses and can be accessed HERE.