Published: Sunday, 28th February, 2010 12:53pm

CONTROVERSIAL TRAFFIC PLAN STARTS IN MARCH

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The Largs Traffic Management plan will finally start in a few weeks - but a community councillor is disgusted that it will not go ahead as originally promised.

Roads chiefs have announced that work intended to ease the town's traffic flow is set to begin on Monday 8th March, including resurfacing, new one-way routes and a roundabout in the town centre - and they even hope to have it completed before Easter.

The new date comes on the back of comments from Amey contractors who only last month had plunged the long-awaited scheme into confusion by objecting to some of the details which, ironically, had been thrashed out over three years by their partners Transport Scotland in conjunction with North Ayrshire Council.

North Ayrshire Councillor Alan Hill described Amey's role as "interference."

However, while roads officials are delighted that the plans are finally reaching fruition, others have expressed new dismay that the traffic management scheme has now suffered further controversial changes since its third draft was accepted last year.

A key element of that plan was the relocation of the northbound Main Street bus stop to the taxi rank at Largs railway station - but Amey officials now insist that is no longer feasible, preferring instead to have enlarged versions of the existing bus stops.

Largs Community Council chairman Ian Murdoch - who has strongly campaigned for an improved scheme - believes such a move will throw out the entire plan and has branded what now remains as simply "a farce".

He also fears that the enlarged bus stops, at The Bagel Basket and The Harlequin, together with a simultaneous loss of parking at Hyndman Green could lead to a Main Street bottleneck - exactly the kind of scenario that the scheme was supposed to eradicate.

Mr Murdoch believes that people have been told that if they object to the last minute changes then it may not proceed at all.

He wrote to Transport Scotland's Area Manager Tom Devine this week, referring to the third traffic plan draft: "This proposal was agreed by the majority of people in Largs and North Ayrshire Council.

"I believe it must have met the approval of Amey Highways and Transport Scotland, otherwise why would they allow it to go to public consultation in the first place?

"Imagine my amazement, shock and anger when during a phone call to NAC Roads Department to enquire when the work would start, I was told that moving the north bound bus stop was no longer included in the plan, as Transport Scotland had decided it could not be relocated outside the railway station due to safety reasons."

He also pointed out: "NAC Roads Department seem to think the bus stops can be located where the taxi rank is at present.

"Leaving the north bound bus stop (Harlequin) where it is will continue to cause congestion, especially when there are two and sometimes three buses stopped at the same time.

"Largs Traffic Management Plan, Scheme 3, was agreed through a long period of public consultation and Largs should get 100% of the approved scheme, not 80%."

Mr Murdoch - who is now set to ask for an independent audit - told the 'News': "You have got to listen to what the people of Largs want. It's not the place for the buses - it ruins everything. The whole thing is a farce.

"Why did Transport Scotland allow this to get to public consultation in the first place? Why did they at this late stage do a U-turn?"

Only last week, a spokesperson for Transport Scotland told the 'News' that all elements of the traffic plan were in place and that it looked set to progress smoothly. Now it seems the organisation were aware that the controversial changes had already been agreed with Amey.

Elected local councillor Alan Hill said: "I don't think we needed the interference from Amey - we had a perfectly good proposal agreed."

Referring to the original siting of the northbound bus stop at the railway station, he added: "One of the exciting aspects of the whole thing was the joined up transport."

A spokesperson for Transport Scotland said: "Transport Scotland and North Ayrshire Council are committed to working together to deliver the Largs traffic management plan. The agreed way forward ensures the design meets current standards while providing Largs town centre with the safest solution."

They also claimed that locating the current pedestrian crossing outside the railway station "at the optimum location has meant that the bus stop could no longer be moved to the position proposed previously".

North Coast Councillor Elisabethe Marshall stated: "I think Ian should let them get on with it, otherwise it will never happen.

"Just one or two things will be left out for safety reasons. Let's get the place tidied up and get it going. Every time we say no to something, it's costing more money.

"They're talking about it taking two or three weeks, and they will maybe divert traffic away from the Main Street.