A SUGGESTION that Scottish Borders Council should take ownership of a notorious road junction in neighbouring Midlothian has been rejected.

The possibility of a land transfer was raised at last week’s full council meeting by Tory opposition councillor Keith Cockburn, whose Tweeddale West ward includes accident hotspot Leadburn Junction just north of the Peeblesshire county border.

Mr Cockburn believes a roundabout is the optimum solution for road safety issues at the site where the main A703 (Peebles to Edinburgh) road is joined by the A703 (Dumfries to Edinburgh) and the A6064 from Howegate.

He reminded Councillor Gordon Edgar, SBC’s executive member for roads and infrastructure, that, in April 2014, he [Mr Cockburn] had asked if SBC would consider joining forces with Midlothian Council to review changes to signage and the road layout which the latter carried out in 2012 when a 40mph speed limit and rumble strips were introduced.

“You replied that Midlothian Council was undertaking ‘before and after’ studies of driver behaviour and accidents. Can you tell me if this council has now been supplied with the results of these studies?”

Mr Edgar said the studies were still ongoing but that Midlothian was prepared to share its findings to date with SBC officers.

“Midlothian Council has also confirmed it is still actively considering additional measures at the junction,” he added.

Mr Cockburn was unimpressed.

“I am extremely concerned that Midlothian Council does not seem to have the same level of concern for road safety at the junction as this council does,” he said.

“There has been a suggestion raised in Tweeddale that perhaps this council should take ownership of the land at Leadburn and effect a resolution to this longstanding issue.

“Do you think that proposition viable?,” he asked Mr Edgar.

“No I do not,” replied Mr Edgar. “We’ve enough problems dealing with our own roads.

“Leadburn junction is the responsibility of Midlothian Council and, as such, you should be putting any pressure to carry out improvements on them.”

After the meeting, Mr Cockburn told the Border Telegraph: “There seems to be a lack of political will to deal with the obvious road safety issues at Leadburn.

“Accidents and near misses are still a regular occurrence at this junction and my constituents, who use the A703 and A701 as their main routes to Edinburgh, regularly express their concerns.

“I fully understand the budgetary constraints on local authorities at this time, but we need a long-term resolution.

“Pretending everything is fine at Leadburn Junction or hoping to problem will go away is not the answer.