'Secret meeting' to alter bypass route

Published on Tuesday 9 September 2008 22:44

BOTH Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire councils were kept in the dark about the Scottish Executive's surprise decision to champion a "hybrid" route for a controversial bypass, a public inquiry heard yesterday.

Until at least two weeks before the announcement was made, they were unaware that Scottish Executive officials had begun to work up plans for a route that would avoid driving the Aberdeen bypass through the heart of a community for people with special needs.

And the inquiry in Aberdeen was also told that the so-called "sixth way" option only emerged after a secret meeting between Tavish Scott, the transport minister, and the chairman of the board of the school that had been threatened by the path of the preferred route chosen by the two councils and their other funding partners.

On 1 December, 2005, Mr Scott announced that he had firmly rejected the "Murtle" option, recommended by both councils, which would have routed the trunk road through the internationally renowned Camphill Community at Newton Dee, disrupting the lives of the 200 vulnerable adults and children with learning difficulties.

Instead, the minister revealed that he had opted for a new bypass that would be a combination of two of the five suggested routes, 28 miles of dual carriageway stretching from Stonehaven to the Blackdog junction on the Aberdeen to Peterhead road.

The timing of the "significant change of tack" was revealed as Alasdair Graham, Transport Scotland's project manager for the bypass, was questioned by counsel for the campaign group Road Sense as the 13-week inquiry got under way at Aberdeen's Treetops hotel.

Mr Graham agreed that both councils and Scottish Executive officials had backed the Murtle option, following a public consultation exercise on the five possible options.

A Scottish Executive memo showed that Mr Scott had then arranged a private meeting on 26 October with the chairman of the school board at Camphill. At the meeting the chairman had again refused to consider relocating the school.

Following that meeting, what became known as the hybrid route began to be developed between Scottish Executive officials and the minister.

Stuart Gale representing Road Sense, asked Mr Graham: "This was introducing an option not previously subject to public consultation and is presumably seen as a significant change in tack as far as officials are concerned, is that correct?"

Mr Graham replied: "It did combine two options previously presented to the public. It was different from those at consultation – yes."

Mr Gale then suggested it was "extraordinary" that, according to documents, both councils knew nothing of the decision.

As the inquiry got under way protesters staged a demonstration outside the hotel.

Shiona Baird said the Green Party would be boycotting the inquiry.

She said: "This road, by the time it is built, will be an enormous white elephant."