Modified plans have been tabled for a £40 million road upgrade aimed at linking Perth with acres of development land to the north of the city.

Planning permission for the A9/A85 relief road was originally granted in March 2015, despite fears at the time that it was too close to land near Perth Crematorium and jeopardise the future of St Johnstone FC.

Now The Courier reports that Perth and Kinross Council has lodged a fresh set of plans for the route, which include several modifications.

These include a revised footbridge over the A9, which will replacing an existing one between Tulloch and the Inveralmond Industrial Estate.

The plan will provide a crucial connection between Perth and Bertha Park, where Springfield Properties has planning permission to build 3,000 new homes.

The public will get another chance to comment on the scheme as part of a statutory consultation. Although worries over the future of St Johnstone appear to have been resolved, there were many who protested against part of the new road running through woodland on the edge of the crematorium.

In documents submitted to planners, project officer Bruce Robertson said: “It is intended to make minor modifications to the design of the proposed scheme.

“These changes are proposed as a result of ongoing detailed design work to minimise the impact of the development on the A9 trunk road and to maximise value for money on the construction of the scheme.”

He added: “The modifications to the proposed scheme do not result in any substantial change to the usability of the infrastructure.”

Work on the road is expected to begin in 2018.