I have made contact via email with the local Councillors, MSPs, MPs, the First Minister and the Transport Minister, requesting that they provide details on their activities with regard to recovering this delayed project.
On receiving their initial round of correspondence and being dissatisfied by the responses, i.e. none of them answered the specific question, they all indicated that they were concerned that the road was delayed, however they did not provide any detials on anything they were doing to try and recover the situation.
I then collated the return letters and emails and replied to them all indicating that their responses we're, in my view, inadequate. I then challenged them again, as representatives of the local area, to do more to ensure that this critical project is delivered as near to its original planned date as possible. I specifically asked the following questions:
- When the decision was made to link the AWPR and TBDCP (Tipperty to Balmedie Dual Carriageway Project), who made the decision and what was the criteria for supporting that decision i.e. how much money would it save?
- When the decision was made to link the projects was it expected that this would result in a delay of the TBDCP and if so by how much and was this considered by those making the decision in question 1?
- Now that the delivery of the TBDCP looks to be delayed by years does that impact on the criteria used to make the decision in question 1, if so how? and what will now happen to address this?
- What is the economic impact of the delay to the TBDCP? (For example in the winter months I start queuing at the Ellon roundabout and remain in a queue most mornings until I reach Balmedie even though I leave my house at 06:00hrs in the morning. Which I estimate adds at least 10-15 minutes to my journey and the same is true when returning home in the evenings). What it the total cost of this type of delay when multiplied across all the users of the roads, i.e. buses, lorries, commuters, business etc etc etc.?
- What is the environmental impact of delaying the TBDCP, is it positive or negative?
- What work has been put in to recover the delayed completion date of this project if any?
- When is the completion date of the TBDCP part of the project? Saying that it will be accelerated within the overall AWPR project and it will be delivered before the end of 2018 is not good enough. It could be up to 5 years later than 1st planned!
At this time I also included the local and national press on my email with a view to attempting to stimulate further debate and discussion.
I have received some responses to the 2nd letter from those who have been contacted all indicating that they were seeking a response to my questions from the Transport Minister on my behalf. All again expressing disappointment that the road is delayed but again failing to provide any specific answers to the questions asked.
Subsequently, I received a letter directly from the Transport Minster which indicated that the two projects had been combined as a result of UK government cut backs to the Scottish funding in 2011. However, on all counts he failed to provide any answers to any of the seven specific questions I had asked in the letter.