Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 22 May 2013
22 May 2013 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Haudagain Roundabout
No. I want to make some progress.
The funding of the regeneration proposal for the Middlefield area is a matter for Aberdeen City Council, but Transport Scotland and our consultants will work closely with the council to ensure that the programming of both projects is in tandem. As is the case with all our schemes, landowners, including the local authority, will be compensated for any land or property that is required to enable the construction of the road improvement.
We have said that we will look at opportunities for opening parts of the AWPR and Balmedie to Tipperty project as early as possible to maximise early benefit to the people in the north-east in advance of the full scheme opening in spring 2018. The airport has already been mentioned. That is one area that we have looked at to see whether there is a possibility of bringing forward that work. That has been discussed with the consultants and the council. Whether the Balmedie to Tipperty project can be brought forward has also been considered.
As I have said, the Haudagain improvement will work only following the predicted reduction in traffic volumes when the AWPR and the third Don crossing are operational. That and the associated disruption during construction is why the project cannot commence now, and that has been made clear a number of times.
There is very little in Richard Baker’s motion that calls for any action at all. If we want immediate construction action now, of course, it will have to be done in advance of any public inquiry or paying compensation to landowners. It seems to me that there is an incredible lack of knowledge about how the projects have progressed.
The funding of the regeneration proposal for the Middlefield area is a matter for Aberdeen City Council, but Transport Scotland and our consultants will work closely with the council to ensure that the programming of both projects is in tandem. As is the case with all our schemes, landowners, including the local authority, will be compensated for any land or property that is required to enable the construction of the road improvement.
We have said that we will look at opportunities for opening parts of the AWPR and Balmedie to Tipperty project as early as possible to maximise early benefit to the people in the north-east in advance of the full scheme opening in spring 2018. The airport has already been mentioned. That is one area that we have looked at to see whether there is a possibility of bringing forward that work. That has been discussed with the consultants and the council. Whether the Balmedie to Tipperty project can be brought forward has also been considered.
As I have said, the Haudagain improvement will work only following the predicted reduction in traffic volumes when the AWPR and the third Don crossing are operational. That and the associated disruption during construction is why the project cannot commence now, and that has been made clear a number of times.
There is very little in Richard Baker’s motion that calls for any action at all. If we want immediate construction action now, of course, it will have to be done in advance of any public inquiry or paying compensation to landowners. It seems to me that there is an incredible lack of knowledge about how the projects have progressed.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott)
Con
The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-06657, in the name of Richard Baker, on immediate action at the Haudagain roundabout.14:40
Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I am pleased that we have been able to bring forward in Labour business the issue of tackling congestion at the Haudagain roundabout, because it is a vital t...
Dennis Robertson (Aberdeenshire West) (SNP)
SNP
I thank the member very much for taking an intervention on that point. Does he accept that the Aberdeen western peripheral route is of great significance to ...
Richard Baker
Lab
Of course; I am happy to accept that point. We all agree on the importance of the AWPR but, through today’s debate, we want to move the Haudagain roundabout ...
Kevin Stewart (Aberdeen Central) (SNP)
SNP
What will happen to traffic to the airport if Mr Baker’s request for immediate action is granted? If the Haudagain is redone, we will have chaos on the roads...
Richard Baker
Lab
That is both a poor excuse and a gross misrepresentation of the issue. I will specifically address the ludicrous press release that Mr Stewart issued yesterd...
Kevin Stewart
SNP
Will the member give way?
Richard Baker
Lab
I am sure that Mr Stewart will want to speak later, so he will have his chance then.Despite the Scottish Government’s verbal assurances that it will pay for ...
Bruce Crawford (Stirling) (SNP)
SNP
I have been listening carefully to Mr Baker. Will he confirm whether Labour is committed to the construction of a third Don crossing any time in the near fut...
Richard Baker
Lab
The member is aware that Aberdeen City Council proposes a third Don crossing. As I have said, the council stands ready to move forward with this work now and...
The Minister for Transport and Veterans (Keith Brown)
SNP
The Scottish Government recognises, of course, the important contribution that Aberdeen and the north-east make to our wider economy and that an effective tr...
Richard Baker
Lab
So when Alex Neil and John Swinney specifically called for immediate action more than five years ago, they were wrong.
Keith Brown
SNP
Perhaps Richard Baker has forgotten that there has been a protracted legal challenge on the AWPR. Nestrans and the council that he has lauded have said a num...
Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Will the minister take an intervention?
Keith Brown
SNP
No. I want to make some progress.The funding of the regeneration proposal for the Middlefield area is a matter for Aberdeen City Council, but Transport Scotl...
Lewis Macdonald
Lab
Will the minister take an intervention?
Keith Brown
SNP
I will do so in just a second.The forthcoming by-election and Labour’s need for a fig leaf to hide every major construction project that it has delayed expla...
Lewis Macdonald
Lab
I am grateful to the minister for giving way, even if he has done so when I was not seeking to intervene.Will the minister confirm that the STAG report actua...
Keith Brown
SNP
I think that I have just said what is being done. We have employed design consultants to work on the design at this early stage in order that we can be ready...
Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
It is wonderful what a by-election will do to focus Parliament on issues that are important to the people of Aberdeen, and the Aberdeen Donside by-election i...
Keith Brown
SNP
Will the member give way?
Alex Johnstone
Con
The commitment that I need from the minister today—I will give way if he is willing to give it—is that he will take action so that the Haudagain roundabout p...
Keith Brown
SNP
If the member had listened to what I said, he would have heard me say that we have started on the design work, which is the necessary first step. Over and ab...
Alex Johnstone
Con
The minister’s intervention takes us into an area that I need to talk about, which is the time that projects take.The minister went through a list of project...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Con
We are tight for time, so members must stick to four-minute speeches.15:02
Kevin Stewart (Aberdeen Central) (SNP)
SNP
I have talked a lot in the Parliament recently about common sense—“gumption” is the word that we use in the north-east. Today, we see mair gimmick than gumpt...
Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Although Kevin Stewart offered to move on from the knockabout, he went on to produce one of the most comical speeches that I have heard. He asked a number of...
Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP)
SNP
No.
Lewis Macdonald
Lab
The Haudagain is part of the trunk road network and therefore the Scottish Government’s responsibility.I heard a little heckling from a sedentary position. I...
Bruce Crawford
SNP
Will work at the Haudagain roundabout cause extra congestion around the city?