M9 Winchburgh Junction

Public engagement material for proposed M9 Winchburgh Junction launches online

As part of the Masterplan proposals a new motorway junction on the B8020 at Duntarvie is being promoted to provide strategic access to the expanding community at Winchburgh. As well as serving new housing and businesses within Winchburgh, the proposed motorway junction will facilitate a step change in accessibility for this region of West Lothian. The junction will be formed by constructing four new slip roads centred around the existing motorway bridge.

A number of mechanisms were incorporated into the Masterplan planning conditions to safeguard the commitment to providing the appropriate road infrastructure to serve the expanding settlement. One of these conditions includes a cap that no more than 1,000 residential units shall be occupied until the new M9 junction is complete.

The statutory process for permitting a new junction to be constructed on the existing motorway involves publishing road orders together with an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR). To view these documents and for further details of the proposals, including information on how to provide comments, please see here.

Subject to successful completion of the statutory process it is intended to appoint a contractor with a view to commencing construction in summer 2021 and completion in early 2022 (which is in advance of the 1,000 residential unit cap).

To continue the delivery of the masterplan and meet wider planning obligations the planning permission requires the delivery a new motorway junction on the M9 to be constructed as part of the current Phase 2.

The motorway will enable:

  • at least 3,800 homes including 750 affordable homes, of which 450 will be for social rent to address the critical shortage of housing in the area
  • together with the schools, support around 550 FTE construction jobs at a time of economic need
  • long-term employment opportunities both through the creation of a 40 acre industrial park and through new retail and leisure facilities estimated to deliver more than 5,000 FTE jobs
  • delivery of green, open spaces such as the 78 acre Auldcathie Park, Daisy Park and a new marina on the Union Canal
  • further rail, road, park and ride, canal, pedestrian and cycle access routes

 

The principle of the junction, including technical matters such as expected traffic volumes and environmental impact have been fully assessed as part of the Transport Assessment and Environmental Impact Assessment that accompanies the planning permission.

The delivery of the motorway junction will allow development of much needed market and affordable housing in Winchburgh by helping open up access to the expansion areas.

That, in turn, will provide a range and choice of house types and tenures making a significant contribution to both West Lothian Council and national housing requirements. It will allow completion of the town centre with a range of new retail, commercial and community facilities for the benefit of all residents by creating part of the core roads access strategy to enable such growth. It will deliver direct access new employment areas on the edge of the expanded settlement.

It will deliver new jobs in both the construction and operational phases of the development. It will, indirectly, enable the delivery of major open space areas such as Daisy Park and a marina on the Union Canal in the town centre. These will be major leisure and open space areas for the benefit of the expanded settlement and visitors alike. This complements the ongoing construction of the separately consented Auldcathie Park – remediation of a former landfill – to the west of Winchburgh.