Plans have been submitted seeking approval for the new path to connect the village of Stoneyburn to neighbouring Fauldhouse providing a safe footpath and cycleway between the two.
The new wooden bridge will span the A706 south of Burnhead Crossroads utilising the footings of a railway bridge which once spanned the road.
Sandy Edgar of Stoneyburn and Bents Future Vision group told the Local Democracy Reporting Service this week: “We’re very optimistic that it is going to go forward.”
He added: “It’s just a matter of time now.”
Planning permission is being sought for the Stoneyburn side of the path after a redraw of plans last year. The new line of the path is slightly south of the original plan and has been moved to preserve more trees; the path with follow an old railway track bed for most of the route from Bents to the A706.
The new wooden bridge will provide the safe crossing of the A706 – a main road from Lanarkshire into West Lothian at Burnhead.
Sandy told the LDRS that there are around seven objections lodged to the new plans but he added: “I think there’s nothing in the objections that will put the council off. I think that, without a shadow a doubt, that it is going to go ahead.”
Sandy also pointed to the growth of Stoneyburn and Bents. New house building will eventually bring almost 400 homes, mostly at the western end of the village.
Sandy said: “That could possibly mean 3 to 400 more cars in the village, with one road in and one road out, so it’s not just about connectivity, it’s about safety for people, for kids, cycling and walking.”
Campaigners have long pointed out that the narrow winding B-road running three west miles toward Fauldhouse remains a 60-mph route without pavements. In the summer dense shrubbery lines, the verges on both sides of the road and visibility is poor.
Work is about to start upgrading the existing path from the western side of the A706 into Fauldhouse. The funding from a previous Scottish Government package will be used for that work.
New funding will have to be secured for the Stoneyburn side.
That initially caused some anxiety for the Vision Group, but discussions with the council’s Design Engineering Manager Graeme Burton and sight of the bridge plans has reassured the campaigners.
New national funding is available to promote active travel- something at the heart of the Vision group’s campaign to improve connections to Stoneyburn and Bents.
Geographically at the heart of West Lothian the communities are isolated by infrequent bus services. Residents have to rely on the car because safe pavement ends at the village boundaries on all sides- hence the term Island Village they have used to spearhead their campaign for safer footpaths.
The village has a couple of small shops, but services including GPs and pharmacist are now in Fauldhouse.
A council report detailed: “The route involves a 3m wide shared cycle/footpath from Bents to the A706 on the south side of Cannop Crescent, with a new footbridge proposed to cross the A706. This will provide a safe crossing of the busy A706 for all non-motorised users.”
By Stuart Sommerville, Local Democracy Reporter
