Walkers, cyclists, and wheelers of all shapes and sizes are invited to give their feedback on the proposals for a new active travel route along the B9040 to Lossiemouth.
An active travel route connecting the coastal communities in the Laich of Moray has been a vision of the local community since 2007, when a feasibility study was completed to offer a safe route for students to walk, cycle, or wheel to Lossiemouth High School from the school’s feeder communities. The route was completed, but only from Burghead to Duffus, offering a fantastic leisure route, but not reaching the intended destination or fulfilling its intended purpose.
Lossiemouth Community Development Trust, at the behest of the town, took on the project in 2015, and undertook a modern feasibility study of the various route options between Hopeman and Lossiemouth in 2017. The Trust was then awarded £20,000 from the Sustrans’ Places for Everyone Scheme, in late 2019, to complete a design study of the route. Over the past year, consultants, Pell Frischmann, have been undertaking a topographical survey; an Equalities Impact Assessment; a road safety audit; and discussing options with landowners along the proposed route.
Laich of Moray Active Travel Routes are now taking this project forward, with the support of the Lossiemouth Community Development Trust and Hopeman Community Association, and are ready to share the proposed route plans with the local community.
Full details of the proposed route can be found here.
There will be an opportunity to find out more, and ask a consultant from Pell Frischmann questions, online, on the following dates:
Tuesday 22nd June 2021 at 12:00 – 13:30
Thursday 24th June 2021 at 19:00 – 20:30
There’s hope that this project could move on to Phase 3 (Developed Design) later this year, bringing us one-step closer to construction of a safe route for people to walk, cycle or wheel from Gordonstoun, Covesea and Silver Sands to Lossiemouth. We are always on the look out for more people to help take this project forward, so if you’re interested in keeping up-to-date with the project, and have any time to spare, please consider offering your support.
Some smooth pathways to roller skate on would be amazing ?
Really excited for this project. I live in hopeman and work in lossie. Would love to cycle yo work each day but I don’t feel comfortable riding on 60mph road.
1. Who will maintain the path when completed as the existing cycle/walk path from Elgin to Lossie is a disgrace
2. The 1.5m safety area is insufficient. It should be about 3m from road
3. Vehicles pass Silver Sands junction at 60-80mph and is highly dangerous. Surely an underpass part funded by Silver Sands would increase safety for families
4. Covesea Road path should be off road altogether. The proposal will lead to conflict and remains a danger to cyclists and walkers
4. Not finishing the path to Duffus is ridiculous and defeats the purpose of the entire
Hi Eric,
All great questions! We hope you can make it along to one of our Q&A sessions with the consultant from Pell Frischmann?
In the meantime, I can let you know that this is only the initial design phase and more details such as crossing points, and traffic control measures will be fleshed out in later stages.
The aim is to get a path to Duffus in the future, but we’re focusing on what can be achieved in the short-term, and getting a path to Covesea will allow safer active travel from Covesea, Gordonstoun, Silver Sands, Twenty Nineteen and the Lighthouse to Lossiemouth. This section of the B9040 is without a doubt the least safe for non-motorised users given the bends and poor sightlines in the area, and providing a path for this section allows onward travel via the Green Road, Drainie Road or the Coastal trail to Duffus/ Hopeman
In principle and as a cyclist I endorse an Active Travel Route between Hopeman and Lossiemouth. However, the route proposed will be a complete waste of money as opposed to the more direct route B which would have followed the B9040. The route is so circuitous that the very people for whom it is designed- school children and commuters from Hopeman going to Lossiemouth, are unlikely to use it, especially in the winter( when school children will take a free warm bus in any case). Why would you want to cross two B roads and go via Duffus and a lengthy detour around the perimeter of Gordonstoun School? This route is far more costly than the direct route B, but then there may be an ulterior motive on the part of the local farmer for preferring the proposed route. Most of the route around the northern perimeter of Gordonstoun will be in complete shade all year round, this means there will be excessive moss and vegetative growth across the path. Who will be responsible for maintaining this section of path? If the path does go ahead and get frequent use, has anyone thought of how close public access would be to young children’s dormitories in the three boarding houses within fifty metres of the path? I am not sure if any of these issues have been considered to date.
Hi Chris,
All good points. Hopefully you can make it along to one of the Q&A sessions with the Consultant, and you have provided this feedback in the survey of the Sway document?
So much good can come of this. Our communities have been devastated by the stay at home message that to offer easily accessible paths for all to enjoy is vital. Can’t come soon enough. First steps of hopefully completion in the future of the whole route.