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Meeting of the Parliament 22 May 2013

22 May 2013 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament

Item of business

Haudagain Roundabout

Brown, Keith SNP Clackmannanshire and Dunblane Watch on SPTV

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 to go immediately.

We can of course revisit all the arguments. For example, I have had a letter from somebody in the Aberdeen City Council administration asking whether we would reconsider the whole AWPR and put in a tunnel instead. There seems to be no end to the reasons that the Labour Party and its allies will produce to delay the projects rather than get on with them. What was most interesting was the reaction of Aberdeen City Council when we said that we would give it the cap that it had asked for on its contribution: the council wanted to continue the argument over the contribution, which was first agreed with the Labour Administration back in 2003, then agreed with us in March. However, the council wants to go back and argue about the question of its cap.

The difference is clear between Aberdeen City Council, which wants to continue to argue about that point rather than get on with the scheme, and Aberdeenshire Council, which said, “A deal is a deal. Let’s get on with the project.” Would that Aberdeen City Council would take a leaf out of Aberdeenshire Council’s book.

The simple fact is that there are too many projects in the north-east, which obviously needs the projects, not least, as Richard Baker said, because of the economic activity in Aberdeen. However, the north-east should have had those projects years ago. There was a lack of investment in Scotland’s transport infrastructure for decades when the Labour Party was in control and did nothing and when the Conservatives were in control for even longer. That was the situation at Scottish Office level, devolved Administration level and council level. Members should not forget that Haudagain and the AWPR started as a council project and that the previous Scottish Executive said that it would get involved in it.

The fact that we are contributing 81.5 per cent of the costs—there is of course a substantial cost to the taxpayer of providing the local authority’s money in the first place—means that we are committed to the scheme and bringing it forward. I do not think that anybody, apart from Richard Baker, questions the fact that we had to observe the legal challenge that was made and try to see that through first. We had no control over that. If the scheme had been started many years ago, perhaps it would not have been started from where we are now. However, it was not started many years ago. The Labour Party talked about it, just as it talked about the Borders railway and the M74 but did not complete them. The difference between the Labour Party and the SNP is that we will get on and complete the projects in a way that the Labour Party never did.

I move amendment S4M-06657.1, to leave out from first “notes” to end and insert:

“welcomes the end of the legal challenge against the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) and the progress that is being made to construct this vital route, with a swift move to procurement and the undertaking of essential preparatory works; commends the Scottish Government for confirming that it will pay for the Haudagain improvements, including the necessary compulsory purchase and compensation for those properties required to construct the improvements; recognises that attempting to re-engineer this junction prior to the opening of the AWPR would result in traffic chaos, severely constraining the economy of Aberdeen and the north east during construction; notes that all potential solutions identified by Aberdeen City Council require the delivery of a third Don crossing, something that has been opposed by Labour councillors and MSPs; further recognises that, in order to undertake the works at Haudagain, existing households will be relocated and the Scottish Government is working closely with Aberdeen City Council to ensure the relocation of vital services, such as the Middlefield Community Project and the Middlefield Healthy Hoose, to appropriate accommodation, and believes that this needs to be done sensitively and with compassion in a realistic timescale and with appropriate consultation.”

14:57

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Meeting of the Parliament 22 May 2013

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