Owners of a Brechin caravan park have accused Angus Council of “double standards” over a £120,000 roundabout being built as part of the town’s multi-million-pound flood prevention scheme.
Preparatory works for the £16.3 million scheme, one of the biggest civil engineering projects ever seen in Angus, are well under way, including the building of the roundabout on land at the former Matrix site on East Mill Road, which will allow buses to turn when the River Street works are progressing.
East Mill Road caravan site sits opposite the new roundabout and its operators have objected to the roundabout being built without planning permission, and warned that it could create a hazard for nearby residents.
The local authority has, however, batted away the criticism, saying full dialogue has been carried out with residents about the works, and pointing out that the roundabout can be constructed without consultation under permitted development rights.
Caravan park spokesman Douglas Murray said: “We’ve no objection in principle to the works, but think there is a safety issue here.
“The roundabout is directly opposite a private entrance, people park their cars in the street and hopefully we will have cars and caravans coming and going to the site for the next few months.
“There was no notification whatsoever, they just arrived, cut a big bit of the hedge down and then took access across the public pavement.
“If that was a private developer, I don’t think they’d get away with that,” he added.
A council spokesman said: “As part of the preparatory work to allow the start of the Brechin flood prevention scheme, work is required to extend the road to make provision for a turning area for buses so that bus services can continue to be provided to the community while sections of the public road are stopped up at River Street and Witchden Road.
“We have been in dialogue with local residents to notify them about the nature of the works required and we welcome any future discussions with residents on any questions they may have.
“As part of previous discussions, we have confirmed that this part of the work does not require planning permission.”
The Town and Country Planning Act allows permitted development rights to undertake works to improve a road on land adjoining the boundary of an existing road.
Angus officials have said that in this case the works are required to extend the road to make provision for a turning area for buses so bus services can continue to be provided to the community while sections of the public road are stopped up to allow the Brechin scheme to be carried out.
The Brechin scheme will include defensive walls along the banks of the South Esk in River Street and at the caravan park, embankments at East Mill industrial estate and secondary drainage in the area, all aimed at being able to withstand aone-in-200-year flood episode.
Although no flood prevention works will take place on Brechin Bridge, traffic signals there will be upgraded to minimise disruption during the project.
The roundabout will allow for buses to return back up to Montrose Road and towards the town, and is expected to come into operation between August and October this year.
The turning area will be utilised again from January next year to March 2016 during the major engineering phase of the scheme.