29 Scottish transport projects given muted welcome

Business leaders have given a guarded welcome for plans by the Scottish government for 29 transport projects - but the construction sector will be noting that they are only planned to get them under way over the next 20 years.

So they are unlikely to plug the current downturn in demand for UK construction skills in other sectors.

The Financial Times today points to concern about “the lack of detail over the cost and timing of these projects – and over the questions last week’s announcement raised concerning how the devolved Holyrood administration would pay for future public spending projects”.

The FT notes: “The minority Scottish National Party government is to press ahead with a toll-free bridge [the New Forth Crossing] that is predicted to cost nearly 50% less than earlier estimates.”

Corrosion in the suspension bridge’s cables could mean that the present bridge closes to commercial traffic in 2013.

With usage then restricted to buses, cyclists and pedestrian, and with anti-corrosion work, it could survive until the end of the century.

Stewart Stevenson, transport minister, has made a bold prediction, telling the FT that: “The Forth replacement crossing would cost a maximum of £2.34bn, almost £2bn less than earlier estimates.”

That thrifty trick has been achieved by:

• diluting its breadth from three to two lanes in each direction
• making the approach roads dual carriageway rather than motorways.

The FT adds: “The minority Scottish National Party government has admitted that it would have to pay for the new crossing directly from public funds – and not through the Scottish Futures Trust, the vehicle it has established to replace the public-private partnership favoured by previous administrations at Holyrood.

“The SNP insist that smaller projects will be suitable for the Scottish Futures Trust, but are struggling to get the funding vehicle going in the current stringent financial climate.”

Des McNulty, Labour’s Scottish transport spokesman, says that the Scottish Futures Trust, was not fit for purpose “and should be dumped” seeing as it could not cope with the New Forth Crossing, even when the costs hade been virtually halved.