A6091 Footpath Upgrade: EIR release

Information requested

Number of questions (which will be repeated in our response) regarding the widening of the footpath alongside the A6091 trunk road at Tweedbank.

1. A high-level description of the scope of the works.
2. The expected benefits of carrying out the works.
3. The length of footpath being widened.
4. The original width of this footpath and the expected width following completion of the works.
5. Whether the footpath is also a designated cycleway.
6. The volume of pedestrian use of the footpath before commencement of the current works e.g. average no. of pedestrians using this section of the footpath per day/week/month/year.
7. The expected volume of pedestrian use of the footpath after completion of the works e.g. average no. of pedestrians expected to use this section of the footpath per day/week/month/year.
8. The volume of use by cyclists of the footpath before commencement of the current works e.g. average no. of cyclists using this section of the footpath per day/week/month/year.
9. The expected volume of use by cyclists of the footpath after completion of the works e.g. average no. of cyclists expected to use this section of the footpath per day/week/month/year.
10. The total estimated cost of the works to include inter alia the widening of the footpath, the relocation of any street lighting columns and the construction of the retaining wall from Broomilees Bridge to the roundabout.
11. The projected outturn cost of the works.

Response

As the information you have requested is 'environmental information' for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.

This exemption is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

Response to your request

Please see our responses to your individual questions below:

1. A high-level description of the scope of the works.

The scheme extents are from Borders General Hospital (BGH) to Melrose Roundabout.
The works are being carried out to widen and reconstruct the footway, improve drainage, install a retaining wall and relocate signs and lighting columns out with the footway extents. The new footway width will be 4m from BGH underpass to Broomilees Road bridge where the path width will reduce to 2m under the bridge. The path will thereafter widen to 2.5m and continue at this width until the roundabout crossing.

2. The expected benefits of carrying out the works.

Increasing the available footway/cycleway width and improving drainage will result in a footway which is significantly more attractive to pedestrians and cyclists. It is intended that this will result in increased attractiveness and safety to those users who walk, cycle and wheel, encouraging more people to choose active and sustainable travel in this area.

3. The length of footpath being widened.

Approximately 560m of footpath will be widened.

4. The original width of this footpath and the expected width following completion of the works.

The original width of the footway was between 1.5m and 1.8m. The expected width will be 4m between BGH and Broomilees Bridge, 2m under Broomilees Bridge and 2.5m between Broomilees Bridge and the crossing west of Melrose roundabout.

5. Whether the footpath is also a designated cycleway.

The footpath is also a designated cycleway.

6. The volume of pedestrian use of the footpath before commencement of the current works e.g. average no. of pedestrians using this section of the footpath per day/week/month/year.

A survey carried out in July 2023 indicated that around 61 pedestrians on average per day used this section of footpath.

7. The expected volume of pedestrian use of the footpath after completion of the works e.g. average no. of pedestrians expected to use this section of the footpath per day/week/month/year.

Under the terms of the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs (information not held), Transport Scotland is not required to provide information which it does not hold. We do not hold the information you have requested because there is no projected figures of pedestrian use for this scheme in isolation. However, significant increases to the numbers of pedestrians is anticipated to be realised as improvements across the A6091 Active Travel corridor and local routes feeding into the corridor are improved too.

This exception is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception. While we recognise that there may be some public interest in information about expected pedestrian usage of the footpath, clearly we cannot provide information which we do not hold.

8. The volume of use by cyclists of the footpath before commencement of the current works e.g. average no. of cyclists using this section of the footpath per day/week/month/year.

A survey carried out in July 2023 indicated that around 57 cyclists on average per day used this section of footpath.

9. The expected volume of use by cyclists of the footpath after completion of the works e.g. average no. of cyclists expected to use this section of the footpath per day/week/month/year.

Under the terms of the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs (information not held), Transport Scotland is not required to provide information which it does not hold. We do not have the information you have requested because there is no projected figures of cyclist use, for this scheme in isolation. However, significant increases to the numbers of cyclists is anticipated to be realised as improvements across the A6091 Active Travel corridor and local routes feeding into the corridor are improved too.

This exception is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception. While we recognise that there may be some public interest in information about expected pedestrian usage of the footpath, clearly we cannot provide information which we do not hold.

10. The total estimated cost of the works to include inter alia the widening of the footpath, the relocation of any street lighting columns and the construction of the retaining wall from Broomilees Bridge to the roundabout.

The total estimated construction cost of the project is £340,000.

11. The projected outturn cost of the works.

The projected outturn cost of the works is £340,000.

About FOI

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