Current status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 24 March 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with stakeholders and other groups regarding the capital funding required to upgrade the A7 between Edinburgh and Carlisle to address concerns relating to speeding, safety, maintenance and congestion.
The A7 is only a trunk road and hence the responsibility of Scottish Ministers, between its junction with the A6091 near Galashiels and the Canonbie (Bypass) (England Border). The northerly sections of the A7 from Galashiels to Edinburgh are the responsibility of the respective local authority through which the road passes.
Transport Scotland and its Road Operating Company have regular engagement with a range of stakeholders in the course of their roles to manage, maintain and operate the route safely.
A recent example of this is regarding the Center Parcs proposal, located off the A7 between Selkirk and Hawick, in this case Transport Scotland, as one of the statutory consultees in the planning system, was approached by transport consultants representing Center Parcs. Discussions have taken place which are related to the likely effects of the proposed development on the Trunk Road network and the application now has consent and is required to upgrade its immediate access. There are no requirements arising for further upgrades to the A7 as a result of the Center Parcs development.
More widely, the Scottish Government published the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) in December 2022. STPR2 uses the Sustainable Investment Hierarchy, as outlined in our second National Transport Strategy (NTS2), which prioritises maintaining and safely operating existing assets over targeted infrastructure improvements. STPR2 was a Scotland-wide transport appraisal informed by significant stakeholder engagement, and in this case, through a South of Scotland - Regional Transport Working Group, which comprised officers from Regional and Local authorities, as well as wider public consultation. The A7 trunk road and potential future improvements were considered by the supporting transport appraisal.