Revealed: the cost of not giving Network Rail go-ahead for Thornton road closure

Thornton faced a 14-month total closure of the main street as the bridge at its station was demolished and raised.

Fife Council cancelled the initial traffic order which prevented Network Rail from starting the work - but to have refused it for its Plan B of a shorter, but still significant closure, would have cost the public purse a staggering £7million.

The bill was revealed as Richard Baker, MP for Glenrothes and Mid Fife, wrote to Stephen Flynn MSP, the new Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport, who he wants to put pressure on the infrastructure company to take further action to minimise the impact of the work on local residents and businesses.

The timetable behind the original 14-month long closure of Main Street was torn up after a huge community backlash.

Network Rail has now got the go-ahead for single lane closures from June 20 until October 18, when the entire road will be shut until March 2027, and then a single lane will operate again until the end of the works next July.

That secured the traffic order necessary from the local authority to get started.

Mr Baker said: “I remain extremely disappointed that there was no consultation with the local community or elected representatives on these plans by Network Rail before they were announced. The initial proposal for a full closure of the bridge for 14 months was totally unacceptable and it was right that a TTRO was not granted by Fife Council, for such a long closure of the bridge would have had an appalling impact on the residents and businesses of Thornton.

I accept that since this point there has been more consultation by Network Rail and that the revised proposal for a full closure of the bridge for 5.5 months is an improvement, but it is still clear this will have a huge impact on the community and is not supported by residents.

“Following the public meeting in April I also do not believe there has been adequate consultation by Network Rail on the proposals as they currently stand, which will mean a single lane operating over the bridge from this month and a full closure from October.

Local councillors were also less than happy with the final outcome.

Councillor Daniel Wilson (Glenrothes Central and Thornton, SNP) said: "The news is a mixed bag. The full closure is down to five and half months but the surrounding support for local businesses needs to become clear and quickly.

“I will continue to hold the council administration and their finance spokesperson to the claim they will do ‘some out of the box’ thinking to support businesses. I suspect there will be a large attendance at the upcoming public meeting."

Fellow ward councillor, Lynda Holton, added: “Whilst reducing the planned road closure will make a significant difference, it will undoubtedly still have a huge impact on residents and businesses over what is a key trading period in the run up to Christmas.

“We have pushed for as much support as possible to be provided to businesses who will be the ones paying the real-life price of the bridge replacement works. We have been assured that Fife Council will be exploring creative ways to come up with help for business owners and we will ensure that no stone is left unturned in a bid to mitigate the impact on the village."