Road closures impact '“ let's learn lessons of the B923

They cause delays and force changes to routines.

But those are short-term problems which can be absorbed.

When road closures start to impact negatively on businesses, and cause widespread disruption then there is a need to review and learn any lessons.

The B923 is a busy road around Kinghorn loch.

It was also one that remained closed for 15 weeks while a developer prepared the site for new houses.

That caused widespread anger in the community, and sparked a lot of calls for more to be done to minimise any impact and work with the residents and businesses most affected.

It is a pefectly reasonable call to make.

Councillor Leslie has accused both transportation and the developer, Lovell, of not not being transparent.

They should both answer that charge.

The Burntisland politician also wants closure periods built into the planning process so everyone is fully aware of what lies ahead.

It seems a sensible suggestion.

Developers must be aware of the needs and sentisivities of the communities where they arrive to build more homes.

Transportation has to be aware of the impact such work will have – it has to be on the ball in terms of communicating and responding to changes.

In this case, businesses relying on passing trade were left staring an empty premises.

It’s a recurring story – anyone remember the impact during the High Street re-development in Kirkcaldy? This only emphasises there is a clear onus on all involved in the planning process to ensure communication is is clear, and issues are responded to.

Managing people’s expectations is key. There is much to learn from the very long closure of the B923.