Highland Spring News – Blackford Community Council

Highland Spring have advised us that they have set up an email address for reporting problems with haulage driver behaviour: BlackfordTraffic@highlandspringgroup.com

They ask that reports include date, time, registration number and any lorry markings. Without that information, they cannot identify the driver who is not following the good practice they are trying to get all haulage drivers to comply with.

This includes, driving carefully, sticking to 20mph through the village, not parking on Moray Street, minimising noise and leaving by turning right out of Stirling Street.

Pictures or video footage are not needed but are always helpful if you have them. This is not a correspondence address. It is just for reporting problems with the haulage traffic.

If you use the email address, you will receive an automated reply confirming receipt, and Highland Spring emergency contact numbers: Reception on 01764 660500 (outwith Reception hours contact Traffic Control (gatehouse) on 0788 0130236.)

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Rules for haulage companies when delivering to Highland Spring

Vehicles travelling to site

Driving through Blackford is not permitted at the following times 08:30 – 09:15 and 15:00 – 15:45.
Exiting the Highland Spring site is not permitted at the following times 08:30 – 09:15 and 15:00 – 15:45.
Vehicles however can be onsite at this time providing they arrive before 08:30 and 15:00.
Speed limit of 10mph when driving through Blackford
You must only drive through the main street of Blackford (Moray Street B8081)
No vehicles must park on the main street.

Vehicles on site

Hi-Vis vest and safety shoes must be worn when on site.
Kilmac lorry number to be on windscreen
One way system must be used (diagram attached)
5 mph speed limit when onsite
Lorries using the one way system don’t have to queue and can drive past the traffic using Highland Spring banksman and queue on the one way system to minimise congestion at the entrance

Vehicles leaving site

One way system must be used
Lorries must leave site and turn right over the railway crossing
If railway crossing barrier is out of order, lorries are permitted to turn left to avoid congestion coming out of Highland Spring

For any issues please contact:

Maggie McLeman Contact Number: 01764 660679 or mobile 07590 735393

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Tayside contracts are currently using the salting depot as a base for
spray tar chipping in the area. Their lorries are doing 30mph
delivering chip to the compound. The works teams are also driving
through the village and are doing 30 too. Both have nothing to do with
Highland Spring. We have no control over the speed. If you are
reporting a speeding vehicle please make sure its turning into Stirling
Street at the rail yard end of the village.

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Highland Spring Work to create new lorry parking area. Work starting 4th June

As many of you are aware the Community Council meet with Highland Spring to monitor the progress of the forthcoming rail development. At a meeting on Thursday this week they confirmed that Perth and Kinross Council Planning Department are to permit the creation of a hard standing area to the east of the warehouses. This did not require planning consent as it falls under permitted development. Highland Spring have worked with SEPA and the Planning Department to ensure that this new parking area complies with current environmental protection laws.

In order to reduce the night-time lorry traffic as soon as possible they will be starting the ground works for this area on the 4^th June. The work will remove existing spoil and type one aggregate by lorry, this will mean up to 60 additional vehicle movements over 3 to 4 days in the first week. New aggregate will then need to be brought onto the site the following week which will again amount to an additional load of up to 60 lorries a day over 3 to 4 days. Allowing for the exclusion times this will be approx 8-10 an hour Once the base groundworks are complete a slab of concrete will be poured over a series of dates in the following weeks, lorry numbers are yet to be confirmed for this but may amount to 35-40per day over the 4 scheduled delivery dates. All lorries will be instructed to leave the village at the eastern (Loaninghead) exit.

All traffic entering the village will be asked to restrict the speed to 20mph from when they leave the A9 and are only permitted to park on site (no stacked delivery). Workers will arrive by transport bus direct to site so no additional parking should be required. The route to site will be along Moray street (with instructions not to take any side roads) with vehicles not permitted to enter prior to 7am and work is not expected to continue beyond 5.30pm each day. No lorry movements will take place between 8.30am and 9.15 am and 3.00pm and 3.45pm to avoid the school access times. No weekend working is currently planned.

We are currently working with Highland Spring to ensure that Charter is established for construction work and that a reporting system is in place for any issues that may arise. During discussions we stressed the issues that arose during the last extension to the factory and we have a route to report any breaches of the traffic management that we do not feel are being dealt with effectively by the main contractor.

The project is estimated to be completed within 6 weeks with it becoming operational by the end of July. There will be a planning application for the lighting in this area available for viewing on the planning portal once the discussions with P+K and Transport Scotland have concluded.

The Community Council will provide information as it becomes available. We will send out emails, and post updates on the BCC website and notice boards whenever possible. The speed of the project to improve night-time noise has meant that details are still being worked on.

2^nd June 2018