Judges dismiss pressure group leader’s protest against Aberdeen bypass

APPEAL judges have given the green light to the controversial planned £400 million Aberdeen bypass, and questioned the credentials of the man who has led the campaign to oppose it.

William Walton, a university lecturer and chairman of the pressure group, RoadSense, had previously lost a challenge to the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route before a single judge in the Court of Session in Edinburgh.

The First Minister, Alex Salmond, had said that Mr Walton risked becoming one of the most disliked people in the country if he caused further delay to the scheme, but he took the case before three appeal judges. Today they upheld the original ruling.

Lord Clarke, sitting with Lord Bonomy and Lord Philip, said the case had been pursued under the 1984 Roads (Scotland) Act.

Mr Walton lived at Skene, Aberdeenshire and, said Lord Clarke, did not claim that he himself would suffer any particular prejudice if the plans he sought to have quashed were brought into effect.

The Act allowed “a person aggrieved by the scheme” to take the issue to the court, added Lord Clarke.

“We, ourselves, would suggest that a person cannot claim to be a ‘person aggrieved’ in relation to the relevant statutory provisions in this case simply because the decision to proceed with the AWPR was against his opinions and views, however strongly held,” said Lord Clarke.

“It seems to us that, on the basis of the information before the court, (Mr Walton) has been an implacable opponent to the AWPR from its inception and by himself, and previously also through the agency of an organistion with which he was closely connected, has sought to resist it at every opportunity and on whatever ground appeared to be open to be argued. But he is no more than that, and in this respect is no different from, say, someone who lives many hundreds of miles from the proposed route but has, on occasions, to travel to Aberdeen.”