A96 dualling argument at Forres Community Council
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FORRES Community Council has been accused of bias over its alleged taking of sides in the debate surrounding the dualling of the A96.
Member of the public Peter Taylor, who attended the council's meeting at the Tolbooth on Thursday, August 15, criticised the public body for backing the route to go south of the town, rather than north.
The Forres Community Council reiterated that its position is one of neutrality.
Currently, it is being decided which route the road will take from Hardmuir to Fochabers – with several routes past Forres available.
Last week, the council's chairman Graham Hilditch was quoted saying: "The north route would have a negative effect on Forres as the traffic on volume on St Catherine's Road and Market Street would vastly increase."
This upset Mr Taylor, who deliberately set up home far away from the A96. He said: "Forres Community Council must have been aware of what a divisive, community-splitting, issue this could have been as they took no decision.
"But now there has been a change. It does not appear to be that the way you are going about this is even-handed and objective."
Mr Taylor's biggest gripe is that Alan James and Michael Miller, who are in favour of the dualling going south of Forres, are in contact with Transport Scotland on behalf of the Community Council.
He added: "Alan James' position was very clear – he was opposed to the northern route. He has views as to why he is opposed but he is opposed and you knew that.
"And yet, in the next meeting, instead of saying there are two sides to this story – you appointed him and his colleague as associate members of the community council.
"In doing so you have clothed them with a position of authority and given them their confidence. You have blessed them in the eyes of Transport Scotland. You have appointed, to investigate, somebody who is not impartial."
But chairman Mr Hilditch insisted there is no bias. He said: "We are all intelligent people here and can make our own judgement. We won't be influenced by Michael or Alan.
"We haven't altered our original position of neutrality. We will make a decision when we have got the full facts."
A final decision is yet to be made, but Transport Scotland say whichever route is chosen, transport links in Moray will be improved and time will be saved by commuters.
