Published: Friday, 5th February, 2010 12:30pm

Leadburn junction dividing opinion

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A POLITICAL row has broken out following a public meeting to discuss Leadburn junction - where a pensioner was killed last week.

Janet Spaven, 87, from Peebles, died following a two-vehicle collision on January 26.

Her Diahatsu car was in collision with a Citreon just yards from where another driver was killed in 2006.

Over the past decade four motorists have lost their lives around the Leadburn junction - where the A701, A703 and A6094 meet.

A £900,000 roundabout reached the planning stage following the 2006 crash which saw the nearby inn burned down and initial studies were completed.

Scottish Borders Council had backed the plans by its neighbouring Midlothian Council as the junction sits just yards from the local authority boundary.

SNP MSP Christine Grahame hosted a public meeting in Penicuik this week where she called on Midlothian Council to carry out the necessary road improvements.

Speaking afterwards she said: "It was a very successful meeting with over 100 people from both Penicuik and the Scottish Borders attending.

"There was a consensus that Midlothian Council should proceed immediately to reinstate the plans they took off the table to build a roundabout at this deadly junction. People also felt strongly that immediate interim measures should also be introduced until the roundabout has been constructed.

"Petitions calling on Midlothian Council to act were circulated widely and the message from the meeting was clear that the Labour run local authority must proceed to build a roundabout at the junction."

However, local Lib Dem MSP Jeremy Purvis has blasted Ms Grahame for attempting to lay the blame at the door of Midlothian Council.

He said: "The Leadburn junction scheme was wholly the victim of the SNP coming to power. It is wrong for Ms Grahame to give misinformation to the public as to why the funding for the project was removed.

"The money was ring-fenced for this project by SEStrans until the Government removed it. This project could have, and should have been done years ago.

"I have written to the Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson to ask for funding to once again be found to sort this deadly junction once and for all."