Aberdeen ‘taken for ride’ on bypass, say councillors

MSPs are gravely concerned about the crisis-hit housing association. Picture: Kenny Smith

Both Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire councils are already committed to contributing an estimated £75 million each towards the construction of the long awaited 28 mile Aberdeen western peripheral route (AWPR).

But Councillor Willie Young, the Labour finance convener in Aberdeen’s rainbow coalition, has now written to Keith Brown, Scotland’s Transport Minister, asking him to “reconsider” the council’s contribution because Edinburgh City Council and Fife Council are not being asked to contribute towards the cost of the new Forth Road Crossing

He declared: “Whilst we entered into this agreement in good faith we are now alarmed to discover we are being treated differently from other local authorities.

“Once again the council tax payers of Aberdeen are being taken for a ride by the Scottish Government. Aberdeen City Council is required to contribute to the cost of the AWPR when other councils in the Central Belt are getting infrastructure road improvements such as the new Forth Road Crossing for free.”

Councillor Young added: “When the AWPR was first agreed the indicative cost was £275million, meaning the council’s share would have been £26million. As the costs have rocketed to £650million and we are the lowest funded local authority in Scotland, residents may rightly argue that we are in effect helping to pay for the Forth Road Crossing in Edinburgh whilst Edinburgh’s council tax payers pay nothing.”

Councillor Fraser Forsyth, the leader of the administration’s Conservative group, claimed: “Aberdeen is once again being treated unfairly by the Scottish Government and there is a clear Central Belt bias here. The Minister must address why once again the council tax payers of Aberdeen are being treated as a cash cow by the SNP in Edinburgh.”

Nanette Milne, the Scottish Conservative MSP for the North east, added her voice to the growing row, demanding that the Government should place a capped ceiling, pegged to current estimated costs, to prevent the two North east councils being faced with having to find significant additional money to meet any increased costs in the future.

She said: “The Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route is vital to the economy of the North east and residents and businesses across the North east are pleased that work on the construction of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route will soon start after what has been over 30 years of campaigning for the road.”

But she continued: ““The funding mechanism for the AWPR will see both Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council having to meet 19 per cent of the cost of the road. The Scottish Government has revised the AWPR costs to an estimated £653million.

“I have called on the SNP Scottish Government to look to place a capped ceiling on the amount both Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council have to pay towards the delivery of the project and for this to be pegged to current estimated costs to prevent North east councils being faced with having to find significant additional money to meet any increased costs in the future.”

A Scottish Government spokesman defended the funding policy and pointed out that other councils, such as the local authorities around the M74 extension, had entered into similar arrangements.

He said: “Since 2007-08, local councils’ share of funding has increased, despite the UK Government’s cuts to the Scottish Budget - and both Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire Councils continue to receive their fair share of this funding which is allocated according to need.

“Moreover, claims that other local authorities have not contributed to transport infrastructure projects are quite simply wrong. In fact, this type of arrangement was entered into with Glasgow City Council, South Lanarkshire Council and Renfrewshire Council on the £445million M74 completion project.

“The AWPR will bring almost 14,000 jobs and £6 billion of economic benefits over the next 30 years - a boost for the North east and for Scotland, and a significant return for our own and the councils’ investment.”

He added: “The Scottish Government is meeting the largest share of the costs contributing 81 per cent of the total cost of the Northern Leg and Southern Leg elements of the AWPR and Balmedie to Tipperty route.

“Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council are both contributing 9.5per cent. The cost of the Fastlink, Balmedie to Tipperty and the maintenance of the entire AWPR/Balmedie-Tipperty will be met wholly by the Scottish Government.”