Council concerns over bridge role

Feb 20 2013

Edinburgh Council has raised "significant concerns" about proposals to relegate its councillors from influential decision-makers in the Forth Road Bridge to peripheral advisors in the Forth Replacement Crossing (FRC).

The council has also called for a "formal commitment" that the Scottish Government will reimburse the cost of repairs and compensation claims associated with the FRC, which could exceed £5 million.

Council transport convener Lesley Hinds (Labour) and vice-convener Jim Orr (SNP) is to put their concerns to Holyrood's Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee.

The FRC will see the Forth Estuary Transport Authority (Feta), which manages the current Forth Road Bridge, replaced with a new operating company.

In a submission to the committee ahead of the meeting, Edinburgh Council said: "The council does not object in principle to the dissolution of Feta, but does have significant concerns regarding the lack of any proposed replacement arrangement that would provide elected members from this council and the other affected local authorities to provide input to issues relating to the Forth crossings."

Four Edinburgh councillors sit on the Feta board and take the convener's chair every second year, but they will have no official role in the new operating company. Instead, council officials will sit on the Forth Bridges Forum (FBF), a quarterly meeting of local stakeholders which is managed by Transport Scotland on behalf of Holyrood ministers.

The submission continued: "The council considers that this represents a significant reduction in its ability to influence decisions relating to the Forth crossings and to ensure that the needs and concerns of affected local communities are given adequate consideration."

The council has called for elected members, rather than council officials, to be given a seat on the FBF. It has also raised concerns about the potential liabilities associated with the construction of the FRC.

The submission continued: "Various costs are still outstanding relating to land acquisition, compensation claims (for noise, disturbance, vibration, smell, fumes etc) and outstanding contractual issues (road pavement compliance testing, remedial works, renewal of road markings, supervision of outstanding works and retention payments). The estimated total value of these costs is about £600,000."

It added: "The estimated total settlement value for all compensation claims relating to noise, disturbance, vibration, smell, fumes etc. is £93,000. To date, 180 such claims have been received with a combined value of approximately £4.4 million. It is also possible that other outstanding costs may exceed the values currently estimated. The council would therefore seek a formal commitment that Scottish ministers will reimburse all costs incurred by the council in connection with this contract following the dissolution of Feta."