'No' vote fear sparks fight for tram line

A MAJOR campaign targeting the Scottish Executive was launched today amid fears the Capital’s proposed third tram line will be scuppered by a "no" vote in the upcoming road tolls referendum.

The South East Edinburgh Transport forum (SEET), which represents business heavyweights such as the Cameron Toll and Fort Kinnaird shopping centres, is demanding the Executive injects tens of millions of pounds into the project.

Ministers have already pledged 375 million to the overall 473m cost of the scheme’s first two lines - with the remainder being funded through developer contributions and land sales.

But the future of the third line linking the city centre with Newington, Cameron Toll, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and New-craighall hinges on millions of pounds raised by the proposed road tolls. Critics claim a "no" vote in next month’s congestion-charging referendum would sound the death knell for any hopes of building the third line under the council’s current plans.

Now SEET - which also represents Edinburgh University, Queen Margaret University College, the ERI and the joint-venture company tasked with regenerating Craigmillar - wants a financial commitment from the Executive guaranteeing the third line will go ahead regardless of the poll result.

The forum’s members boast an annual turnover of more than 1 billion. SEET officials plan to meet Scottish ministers and city leaders in the coming weeks to press its case for more cash for trams as well as a bus corridor to a park-and-ride at Newcraighall station and new park-and-rides at Todhills and Straiton.

A SEET spokesman today said: "The Edinburgh and Lothian structure plan identifies the south-east of the city as a key location for economic development. This growth will have both local and national impact.

"We’ve already seen the relocation of the new ERI and building of the Edinburgh University medical school, but there are also plans to develop a medipark, to create a new settlement at Shawfair, a new campus for Queen Margaret University College, expansion at Cameron Toll and Fort Kinnaird and the regeneration and expansion of Craigmillar.

"To support those developments we welcome the improvements made to date, particularly the quality bus corridor on the A7 and the A701.

"The Executive has already committed 375m towards delivery of tram lines one and two, we want to see a similar commitment to tram line three and an additional quality corridor introduced from the city centre to the park-and-ride at Newcraighall station. We’d also like to see further park-and-ride sites at Todhills and Straiton."

The group claims to have invested 400m in south-east Edinburgh during the past five years, which is predicted to rise to 1bn in the next five years. It predicts new development in the area over the next five years will generate 55 million passenger trips by car and bus annually.

But Executive officials refused to give further funding guarantees.

A spokeswoman said: "We are committed to first-class transport infrastructure for Edinburgh. As SEET have noted, the Executive has already committed 375m for trams in Edinburgh."

She added that the Executive had also made available an additional 3.5m to develop proposals for line three.