Edinburgh Tram (Line One) Bill Committee, 14 Sep 2004

Meeting date: Tuesday, September 14, 2004

Official Report 118KB pdf

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Site Visit

Agenda item 3 is the site visit. Members will recall that the committee discussed a possible site visit to the proposed route of the tramline—really so that those of us who do not come from Edinburgh and are not aware of the fine detail of the city can understand the area that the trams will travel through. Our briefing paper proposes that we should undertake a visit immediately before taking oral evidence. If we agree to go on a site visit, it is expected that we will be able to fix a suitable date within our programme.

The main aim is to give us an overview of the route. It is likely that we will want to go back to specific parts of the route at a later stage to enhance our detailed knowledge. It is suggested that the promoter organise and attend the visit so that it can provide us with further information in response to any questions that we might have, but its involvement with members during the visit would be limited to that role. I send that assurance to objectors, who might question why we are going round with the promoter, which will have a very limited role.

On the basis of the recommendations in the briefing paper, I ask the committee to agree to our undertaking a site visit. If that is acceptable, I ask the committee to confirm that we are comfortable with the promoter arranging the visit around the route under the terms that I have specified. We will agree a date when we discuss our work programme under item 7. Is that acceptable?

Members indicated agreement.