The Western Relief Road

In may 1984, Lothian Regional Council proposed the construction of a new dual carriageway from Sighthill, along the south side of the Glasgow railway to join the West Approach Road. The purpose of this new road was to reduce traffic levels on existing routes such as the A8 and the A71.

At the Association's AGM in November 1984, resolutions were passed that the Association endorsed the total opposition to the Western Relief Road and that it would not give any further consideration to any alternative proposals.

The consultants for the road proposals believed that this new dual carriageway would not result in any increase in city centre traffic levels, a point not accepted by the Association. The Association advised the Council that no decision to build any Western Relief Road should be made until the City Bypass was completed and new Railway stations with Park and Ride facilities have been opened. Instead of dealing with the road as a planning application (the normal approach), Lothian Regional Council attempted to use a private legislation procedure to build it.

At a Parliamentary Inquiry, the Association put forward seven reasons why the proposals should be scrapped:

• The Western Relief Road would generate and increase traffic in the city centre
• It would destroy the amenity of those along the route by noise and visual intrusion
• The Structure Plan indicated that the route should be reserved so that the Western Relief Road and M8 extension could be built together
• The Western Relief Road did not form part of the transport strategy for the city, the central area or the Western suburbs
• No possible alternatives had been tried
• The Road Order being promoted was not the correct method to propose the Western Relief Road
• The Western Relief Road/Bypass junction design prohibited it being aligned with the M8 extension