Trunk Road Biodiversity Action Plan: Review for Discussion

the Scottish trunk road network

The potential influence on biodiversity in Scotland

Trunk roads are roads that are considered to be of strategic importance to the wellbeing of the country and are under the authority of the First Minister for Scotland. The trunk roads are operated, managed and maintained by the Scottish Executive Transport and Planning Group on behalf of the Scottish Parliament.

Trunk roads can be motorways, dual carriageways, single carriageways or single track roads. The trunk road estate includes both the road surface and the verge.

The Scottish trunk road network comprises over 3400 km of road, which equates to approximately 6% of the total length of public roads in Scotland. Trunk roads carry approximately half of all traffic on major roads in Scotland and cover an area of over 70 square kilometres, of which more than half is vegetated. This large area of soft estate has considerable influence in biodiversity terms because:

• The land area is spread over a wide network passing through many different landscape character areas and habitat types;
• The soft verges and earthworks, which can be relatively wide in places (over 100 m at some junctions on motorways), are often amongst the few places where wildlife can thrive in intensively managed agricultural landscapes.
• At a wider level, the design and management practices adopted by the Scottish Executive on the trunk roads are often regarded by local authorities to be appropriate for the non-trunk road network, which equates to approximately 51,000 km.

The Scottish trunk road network is shown on Figure 2. This major land holding carries associated responsibilities for its management and use. Much of the estate is rural, although a significant proportion lies in and around towns and cities. The character of trunk road land varies enormously, ranging from semi-natural grassland and woods to formal and ornately planted features such as roundabouts in urban areas. It presents a significant opportunity to contribute positively to the Scottish environment.

Figure.2