The Scottish transport minister has once again been accused of snubbing north-east residents whose lives have been made “a misery” by the Aberdeen bypass construction.
Derek Mackay had been invited by city councillor Ross Thomson to visit locals affected by the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) construction in February.
Residents living near the sites claim roads have been damaged by lorries, and water is being polluted near their homes, while also complaining there has been a lack of consultation around the work.
And yesterday Mr Thomson hit it out at Mr Mackay for not meeting up with affected residents whilst in the north-east yesterday to announce the imminent opening of the new-look Inveramsay Bridge, near Inverurie.
He said: “It is disappointing that the minister has travelled all the way up to Aberdeen today but has chosen not to arrange a brief meeting with residents who have been affected by the ongoing construction work.
“It would have sent out a strong signal that the Scottish Government takes the concerns of local people seriously. This is the second time that residents will have been snubbed by the minister.”
However a Transport Scotland spokesman said it was working with its partners to “address the concerns of local residents”.
He added: “Infrastructure secretary Keith Brown wrote to Councillor Thomson on February 23 and provided a full response to the points raised in his letter.
“Transport Scotland has met with North Kincardine Rural Community Council twice during the past five months and representatives from the community council attended a community council forum held earlier this year.”
