Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine Railway and Linked Improvements Bill Committee, 10 Nov 2003
Meeting date: Monday, November 10, 2003
Official Report
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Scottish Parliament Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine Railway and Linked Improvements Bill Committee Monday 10 November 2003
[The Convener opened the meeting at 11:18]
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I welcome everyone to the fourth meeting of the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine Railway and Linked Improvements Bill Committee. Today, we shall hear evidence, including supplementary evidence requested following previous meetings, on the need for the railway and associated works. We shall then give preliminary consideration to two objections that have been lodged against the bill, after which we shall consider the environmental statement, including evidence on the peer review that the committee commissioned on the noise and vibration chapter of the statement.
It may be useful if I clarify what the committee is considering with regard to the preliminary stage consideration of objections. The committee must satisfy itself that the objections that Mr Graham Bisset and the Kincardine railway concern group have lodged are based on a reasonable claim that the bill would adversely affect their interests. We will not consider the substance of their objections, or that of other objections. That is properly a matter for the consideration stage of the bill. Rather, we want to be satisfied that those two objections can go forward to the consideration stage.
We hope to break for lunch at around 1 o'clock and, depending on the progress that we have made, we might take a short break this afternoon. As I said last week, members of the public are, of course, welcome to leave the meeting at any time, but I ask them to do so quietly. Although the meeting is being held in public, it is not a public meeting; it is part of the formal work of the Parliament, so I would appreciate the co-operation of members of the public in ensuring that business is properly conducted. I ask those present to ensure that their mobile phones and pagers are switched off.
We will hear evidence today from representatives of the bill's promoter, Clackmannanshire Council, and from other witnesses whom the committee considered would have relevant comments to make on the bill.