Pressure groups put M74 project in doubt

Tendering for Scotland’s £500m M74 trunk road extension contract has been delayed for up to a year and could be scrapped after pressure groups Friends of the Earth (FoE) and JAM74 formally lodged an appeal against the project.

In April, CJ reported that the Scottish Executive was to push ahead with the trunk road scheme, ignoring the advice of its own inquiry reporter Richard Hickman, who concluded that the project was "very likely to have serious undesirable results" on both the environment and the community (CJ 27 April).

FoE and JAM74 have now lodged papers at the Court of Session in Edinburgh for an appeal against the Executive’s decision. Both groups believe they are in a strong position and that the Executive may decide to scrap the whole project, rather than face a lengthy and costly legal case.

The Executive, which was unable to rule out shelving the project, confirmed to CJ that tendering for the project, which was due after the summer, would now be put back until next year at the earliest, with completion now set for 2009.

A spokeswoman told CJ: "It is difficult to be precise about the impact on the project timetable, but our best estimate at this stage is that it will take around nine to 12 months for a judgement to be made on the initial appeal.

"The tenders for the construction of the scheme will not proceed until the appeal is concluded and the outcome known."

Asked what implications the delay would have on the capital funds reserved for the project, she replied that the capital programme was "kept under constant review".

Alan Watt, chief executive of the Civil Engineering Contractors Association Scotland, said: "There is every possibility that the Scottish Executive’s transport commitments will be adversely affected by the M74 delay and it will be difficult to recover the programme and spend thereafter."