A councillor has laid down an early marker for traffic controls leading to a planned multi-million-pound Arbroath gateway retail park.
Angus development standards committee councillors were asked to note a Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) for the scheme focused on the former Presentation Products factory site adjacent to the A92 on the western entrance to the town.
Those behind their project say big names who do not already have a presence in Arbroath have indicated an interest in a proposal which could bring a valuable jobs boost to the town.
Although the PAN submission contained no specific detail on what is proposed, Arbroath councillor Alex King said he already had concerns about traffic arrangements.
The land – which was previously also home to Arbroath’s Metal Box – is close to the existing Westway retail park.
In response to traffic concerns, councillors earlier this year approved proposals for a near £250,000 improvement plan to ease congestion at the “nightmare” junction of the A92 Dundee Road and Westway.
The road there is to be widened and a lights controlled pedestrian crossing put in place.
Arbroath West and Letham SNP representative Mr King said: “I have a lot of concerns about this particular site – not the actual redevelopment, but the traffic arrangements around it.
“I think the applicant should be required to put either a full-sized roundabout – not a mini one – or traffic lights in place for this.
“Secondly, this is going to be a retail park right alongside another retail park.
“People are going to go from one to the other and I want to see a pedestrian right of way and vehicular access between the two sites.
“I don’t want them to have to come out on to the A92 to go between the two,” added Mr King.
“We don’t yet know who is going to be in the new site, but we know it’s going to be retail and fast food, and we already have McDonald’s and KFC at the Westway retail park.
“One of the big problems there is people waiting to turn right out of the retail park and right again on to the A92.
“I think we should be looking at accommodating public and vehicular access within planning conditions and either a full-size roundabout or traffic lights.”
Carnoustie Independent David Cheape said: “We have the disaster that’s been caused at the Westway junction and we can’t afford to have a similar situation here so we need to approach that in advance for safety and traffic flow.”
