Environmental campaigners have slammed transport bosses and claimed that plans to dual a north-east road could devastate almost a dozen ancient woodlands.
A consultation on expanding the A96 Aberdeen to Inverness road, between the Granite City and Huntly, finished yesterday.
The options put forward by Transport Scotland would mean re-routing the 26-mile stretch away from the current road.
There has been a huge outcry against the plans due to their potential impact on the environment and the Woodland Trust has now also condemned the proposals.
There are 14 woods that potentially would come under threat according to the charity, but they would not be included in every single route.
The trust has claimed that, depending on which route is chosen, at best, seven ancient woods could be ruined and, in the worst case scenario, 11 could be harmed.
Nicole Hillier, a trust campaigner, said: “The Woodland Trust strongly opposes all six route options proposed on the basis of damage and loss to a significant number of ancient woodlands.
“Based on our assessment of each potential route option, at least seven woodlands will be impacted by the least damaging route or 11 woods by the most damaging.
“The route options proposed – regardless of which is chosen – would each cut several areas of ancient woodland in half.
“We believe that ancient woodland is among the most precious and bio diverse habitats in the UK and is a finite resource which should be protected.
“Just 1% of Scotland’s land area is ancient woodland. It is a sad irony to see more of it chipped away just as society is beginning to realise the importance of woods and trees in combating climate change.”
It is the latest criticism of Transport Scotland’s plans on environmental grounds. Local campaign group A96 Action has been pushing for the road to be dualled along the existing route, which it argues would produce as little as 7% of the emissions of the other alternatives.
A spokesman for the transport body said: “We value the environment we are working in and place particular emphasis on striking a balance between delivering the A96 dualling and respecting the sensitivities of the corridor.
“The in-depth planning and design work we are taking forward includes an environmental assessment of the options under consideration to ensure that we deliver the right scheme and keep impacts on the environment, communities, and businesses to the absolute minimum.”
