Outrage over 'waste' of cash on tram line that may never arrive

Published on Sunday 31 July 2011 15:17

CRITICS are demanding to know who sanctioned the decision to "waste" nearly £40 million more on Edinburgh's beleaguered trams project.

SNP MSP Jim Eadie called on councillors to admit their support for the move to spend another 38m during the past two months - despite the fact that funding to complete the controversial scheme is no longer secured.

His call was sparked by a response to a Freedom of Information request that showed that Transport Initiatives Edinburgh (TIE) spent part of the 38m on track for the Newhaven section of the tram line, even though it is now unlikely to be built.

The money, part of the orginal 545m tram budget, was also used to support renewed work on the Gogar depot, the A8 underpass and Haymwarket.

Although councillors have backed plans for a shorter route ending at St Andrew Square at a total cost of 773m, that still leaves a 228m funding gap.

Mr Eadie said: "The public is entitled to know which of their public representatives within TIE and the board of TIE knew about this decision and therefore is accountable for this spending taking place.

"We don't yet know how much of the 38m was spent on track to go to Newhaven but it will be an embarrassment, however much it was."

Margo MacDonald, Independent MSP for Lothian, said she too would be demanding answers over the investment. Querying the spend on the currently defunct Newhaven link, she said: "I had no idea there was some kind of hidden plan…to actually complete the line as it was planned all the way to Leith, and on to Newhaven. I will be asking questions about this."

The revelation is the latest in the ongoing saga of increasing costs and incompetence that has marred the city council's plan to bring trams back to Edinburgh. Originally the network was planned to link the city's airport to the shore at Newhaven.

After numerous problems culminating in a mediation process to save the scheme, it was cut short to St Andrew Square in May.

But over the following two months TIE, the arms-length firm responsible for the project, spent a further 38m including the purchase of materials and equipment for the Newhaven section which will be stored for potential future use.

Defending the decision, TIE remained adamant that the abandoned Newhaven line would go ahead one day.

A spokesman for TIE said: "Expenditure on the project since mediation has been as a result of the remobilisation of work on priority areas of the tram route including Haymarket, the Gogar Depot and the A8 underpass.

"The decision to purchase all systems equipment was made in order to safeguard these assets for the future extension of the line to Newhaven."