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There goes any hope of easing traffic around Elgin… £11.8million Western Link Road scrapped

Moray Council has scrapped controversial plans to create a multi-million-pound relief road through Elgin in a bid to save money.

Councillors held crisis talks yesterday, having learned they would have to ditch some costly projects to remain solvent.

Corporate director Mark Palmer claimed that last December’s reduced settlement from the Scottish Government was the “final nail in the coffin” for an authority which had been struggling to balance its books for several years.

Amid growing concerns about Moray Council’s diminished finances, members ultimately voted 13 to 11 in favour of discarding proposals for an £11.8million Western Link Road through Elgin from its capital plan.

Campaigners against the scheme, which was first tabled more than a decade ago, were celebrating last night.

But, meanwhile, speculation mounted that the council bosses who had championed the controversial scheme could be forced to stand down.

Council leader Stewart Cree and convener Allan Wright were both unavailable for comment, but a report presented to councillors had listed “reputational damage to the credibility of leadership” as being among the principal hazards of scrapping the plans.

Protestors claimed the selected route for the project, which went through Edgar Road and Wittet Drive, would endanger schoolchildren and create unwelcome noise and pollution in residential areas.

Leading campaigner Jim Wiseman said: “We have lived through so many ups and downs with this, but we are so relieved it appears to be over.

“There are far more important things the council should be spending this money on.”

Wittet Drive resident Caroline Webster described the link road project as a “white elephant”, and said its abandonment was “incredibly good news”.

James Mackessack-Leitch, the convener of Moray’s Green Party and a longstanding opponent of the scheme, said it was “inconceivable” the plans would be resurrected.

He added: “We were gearing up to fight the next planning application expected later this year. However, if this decision means that we can get on with our lives, then it is truly welcome.

“It’s a victory for determined people power.”

During the meeting, members of the administration group were highly critical of those who voted in favour of the project’s demise.

The council has already invested £3.65million in the project, and may have to return more than £3million to developers who had purchased land in Elgin on the proviso that the road would be built.

But opponents argued that spending a further £8.2million over the next 10 years was unjustifiable.

Mr Cree accused Fochabers Lhanbryde representative Douglas Ross of “hijacking” a discussion on the authority’s financial plan to ensure the ditching of the disputed venture.

The stormy talks were waylaid by two adjournments and an emergency meeting of the council’s ruling group, before members finally rendered their vote.

Mr Ross’s motion to scrap the scheme was seconded by the leader of Moray’s SNP opposition group, Gary Coull, and was passed by 13 votes to 11 over Mr Cree’s amendment to proceed with it.

Mr Ross said: “I have always said it was the wrong proposal in the wrong location.

“It was clear that this project, simply on financial grounds, could not be a priority over others while our capital plan was unsustainable.”

Mr Coull added: “We have seen that the council’s Independent and Tory-led administration is all over the place, and losing key votes.”

Councillors later agreed to devote some of the money saved from axing the link road plan towards other improvements which had been earmarked for the scrapheap.

Cash will be spent on installing road safety barriers, furthering flood protection schemes at Dallas, Hopeman and Portessie and keeping public toilets open.