A82 Stuckindroin Bridge to benefit from £1.1m upgrade

A £1.1m bridge upgrade on the A82 is to start next month, Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson announced today.

Transport Scotland recently awarded a contract to the ERDC Group Limited to undertake maintenance, strengthening and refurbishment works on the current bridge. The work, which will commence on February 1st, will widen the bridge as well as improve safety for road users.

Mr Stevenson said:

“I am pleased to announce the contract award and start date of this project which is the latest in a number of upgrades scheduled for the A82, underpinning this Government’s commitment to investing in improvements on the route.

“This is the second bridge on the A82 to undergo enhancements this year already, and is one of a series of measures on the route. Future improvements will include road widening, climbing lanes and overtaking opportunities, lay-bys, junction improvements, hard strips and road alignments, between Tarbet and Inverarnan and Corran Ferry and Fort William.

"This vital work will not only improve road conditions and safety on the A82, but also improve transport links to northern Scotland and our island communities."

The Stuckindroin bridge upgrade is expected to take six months to complete, and follows the start of works at Ba Bridge this January, which will see a new crossing finished by the beginning of 2011.

A mixture of safety, maintenance and project improvements are proposed for the A82 over the coming year. Some of the intended works for the route include verge safety fencing between Tarbet and Fort William, traffic signal improvements at Inverlochy Junction, a lighting replacement scheme at North Road, Fort William, and another bridge replacement scheme at Allt Chonoglais.

Due to the location of Stuckindroin bridge within the environmentally sensitive area of Loch Lomond National Park, extra care is being taken to plan these works in harmony with the diverse local ecology.

Fewer Elderly Victims Get C Diff

Fewer pensioners than ever are being infected by hospital infection clostridium difficile, new figures showed. The number of c.difficile cases
amongst the over 65’s has fallen by 55% since 2007 under the SNP Government.

Commenting, local MSP Stewart Stevenson said:

“These figures show the dramatic impact the SNP’s focus on tackling hospital acquired infection has had. After climbing to over 1700 cases under Labour c.diff rates amongst the over 65’s have fallen 55% under the SNP.

“To more than halve c.diff rates in less than 3 years is a significant achievement. It is time opposition politicians accepted the achievements of the SNP Government and the NHS, the work of the health secretary and the real improvement in standards in Scotland's hospitals under the SNP after their years of neglect.

“Every case is a concern but the rapid fall in cases over the last two three years is a testament to the hard work of the NHS and the Health secretary. Investment in tackling HAI’s, bringing cleaning back into the public sector and establishing the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate are all key steps taken by Nicola Sturgeon to cut c.diff rates across Scotland.

“There is always more to do and I know NHS staff will continue their efforts to tackle hospital acquired infections.”

Stevenson Delighted By Substantial Funding For Rural Projects In Banff & Buchan

Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson has welcomed the announcement of the latest round of funding from the Rural Priorities scheme which sees £25.4 million awarded to 350 projects across the Grampian region. Several projects are located within Banff & Buchan, including £31,500 for Ian G Pirie & Co at Overton of Bruxie to implement environmental improvements, £320,000 for Ordens Farms Ltd near Banff to fund woodland creation and £191,600 for Brunthill Farm near New Deer to expand their skip hire and waste recycling business.

The Rural Priorities scheme is part of the Scottish Rural Development Programme and this latest round of funding brings the total that has been awarded under the programme to £257.8 million.

Commenting, Mr Stevenson said:

“The sheer number of projects that have successfully applied for funding in Banff & Buchan and across the Grampian region is testament to the innovative ideas for development that so many rural businesses are developing.

“I know that this support from the Scottish Government will be warmly welcomed by the businesses that are set to benefit, along with those in their local communities.

“With so many projects located in this part of Scotland receiving funding, I believe that this announcement makes a clear demonstration of the importance that the Scottish Government attaches to the rural economy in Banff & Buchan and other parts of the North East.

“This funding will provide an important boost during these difficult economic times and I warmly welcome it”.

Notes:

Banff & Buchan businesses benefitting include:

The business of Ian G Pirie & Co at Overton of Bruxie (near Peterhead) will receive around £31,500 to implement environmental measures that will improve both the local biodiversity and landscape. These include management of water margins, hedgerows, eight hectares of grassland for wildlife, wetland, species rich grassland and creation of a 0.5 hectare plot of wild bird seed. Over 1000m of new hedgerow will also be planted. The project will ensure continued management of a number of habitats successfully created under a previous scheme which ended in 2009.

Brunthill Farm near New Deer plan to expand the successful skip hire and waste recycling side of their business using a £191,600 grant. Due to increases in demand, they wish to build a large extension and construct an office block incorporating washing, toilet and kitchen facilities. The business also wishes to improve its environmental performance by re-using and recycling as much waste as possible by investing in several specialist items of machinery. With this investment, a higher proportion of waste will be able to be recycled (increasing income) which will reduce the quantity that must go to landfill (reducing cost), improving both the environmental and financial performance of the business. 

Ordens Farms Ltd, an agricultural business near Banff, is run by the Taylor family and plans a mixture of woodland creation and improvement of wetlands, water margins, species rich grassland, grass margins, hedges and grazed grassland using a grant of £320,000. Care has been taken to create habitats on the site for endangered species such as water voles and corn bunting. The planting of new hedges and the management of those already there will extend to some 31,500m and safeguard and enhance the landscape. Water quality improvements will also reduce pollution.