A90 Upgrade
The final item of business today is a members' business debate on motion S2M-2367, in the name of Nanette Milne, on a call for action on the A90. The debate will be concluded without any question being put. I invite those members who are leaving the chamber to do so as efficiently, quickly and quietly as possible.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament notes with concern the number of road accidents on the A90 north of Aberdeen between Tipperty and Balmedie; further notes the significant number of new houses in and around the Ellon area which have added to the high volumes of traffic on this already congested road, and considers that the Scottish Executive should take action to upgrade this stretch of road as a matter of extreme urgency.
I am pleased to have been given the opportunity to bring the vexed issue of the A90 north of Aberdeen back to the Parliament for debate. It is five years, almost to the day, since my colleague David Davidson secured the Parliament's second members' business debate on the subject—five years during which north-east MSPs from across the political spectrum have raised the issue with ministers; five years of increasing traffic flow; five years of injuries due to road accidents; and five years of failure by the Scottish Executive to resolve the problem.
I fully agree with all those who seek a dual carriageway road all the way from Aberdeen to Peterhead, but I decided to focus on the stretch between Balmedie and Tipperty because of the increasing frustration and anger that is expressed by users of that stretch of road as they travel each day between Aberdeen and Ellon and beyond and because of the urgent need for an upgrade of the road to dual carriageway standard.
An electronic petition by Iain McDonald of Ellon attracted 2,606 signatures in the two months between 28 February and 30 April. That is by far the largest number of signatures that any e-petition to the Parliament has attracted to date. Anyone who has read the comments that the petitioners have added will know that the local community is incensed by the everyday hold-ups and delays that are caused by the stretch of road and is concerned about the regular toll of accidents and the near misses that are a daily occurrence. In the past 10 years, there have been about 100 accidents that have resulted in injury, which must surely give the Minister for Transport cause for concern.
As was pointed out in the previous debate on the issue, the Tipperty to Balmedie stretch of the A90 remains the only length of single carriageway between Ellon and Dundee, excluding the part of the road that goes through the city of Aberdeen. Cars and buses remain the only form of transport in that corner of Scotland. Park-and-ride schemes are gaining popularity, but buses, too, are held up on the single carriageway part of the road. The delays inevitably lead to driver frustration and risky overtaking. Accidents are a common result. Environmental concerns arise, because exhausts from idling engines pollute the atmosphere at congested peak times.
It is now fully three years since the Scottish Executive agreed to fund a Scottish transport appraisal guidance multimodal assessment of the Balmedie to Tipperty section of the A90, to consider options for upgrading the route. I understand that the findings of that report went to the north-east Scotland transport partnership on 3 February this year and that NESTRANS promised to respond formally by the end of February, following which the minister's decision was expected. It is three months since then, and still we have no decision.
It is small wonder that the road's users are furious. Every month of delay brings more frustration and accidents. The traffic flow, which has increased by 30 per cent since 1992, continues to increase as a result of major housing developments in Ellon, Newburgh, Balmedie and other settlements in that part of Gordon and Buchan.
I hope and expect that the minister will say today that action will be taken in the very near future. If that action is not dualling the road, public anger will be enormous. Iain McDonald said on 25 April:
"It will be at least another 5 years before the Western Peripheral Road is built round Aberdeen. We don't want to wait another 5 years before this road is upgraded."
As the minister prepares to move on to higher things, I hope that he will approve a dual carriageway from Balmedie to Tipperty as a tangible legacy to the north-east of his tenure as Minister for Transport. I look forward to his response to the debate.
I thank Nanette Milne for securing a debate about a section of road that is notorious in the north-east. The Tipperty to Balmedie stretch of the A90 is a single carriageway in what is otherwise a dual carriageway between Aberdeen and Ellon. Members who represent the north-east have argued since the Scottish Parliament's inception in 1999 for that stretch to be upgraded. Our first Minister for Transport and the Environment, Sarah Boyack, reviewed all the road projects that were on the stocks when she took office and identified the top 10. The project that we are discussing was in the next tranche just below the top 10, so it was recognised as a high priority to deal with at that time.
The bit that I know best is at the north end of the dual carriageway, where the road becomes a single carriageway. I have seen more nasty and dangerous near misses there than I care to think about. The main access road into Balmedie from the west cuts across the dual carriageway just yards before it becomes single carriageway. The single carriageway starts with a straight stretch of road, a couple of hundred yards along which is an exceedingly popular inn on the left, which traffic enters and exits. A right-hand turning lane has recently been created for that inn, so people dice with death to pass traffic before the dual carriageway runs out and are then faced with a straight stretch that is deceptively wide because of the turning lane. That is a recipe for disaster and it is amazing that a disaster has not happened yet. For road safety, it is important to dual the single carriageway as soon as possible.
Nanette Milne mentioned the growth in the population using the road. Ellon is a growing town that hopes that its economic development will prosper. No rail access is available north of Aberdeen into Banff and Buchan or for goods going into and out of Ellon, so everything travels by road. The economic development of Ellon and areas further north into Banff and Buchan demands decent infrastructure, which means dualling the road.
I am sure that my other north-east colleagues will add their voices to the argument. The case is extremely strong for tackling this dangerous leftover bit of single carriageway and dualling it as soon as possible, which would benefit the north-east as a whole and Ellon and Banff and Buchan in particular.
I, too, congratulate Nanette Milne on securing the debate, which comes five years after a similar debate was secured by her colleague. Five years after we debated the issue in 2000, we are again calling for the A90 to be upgraded, particularly the stretch between Balmedie and Tipperty. I also want to speak about the road beyond that stretch, because we are talking about all of the A90 north of Aberdeen that is single carriageway. However, those of us who regularly drive on that stretch understand the frustrations that local residents have expressed. People in that part of the world have to drive because there are virtually no other forms of transport available. There may be irregular bus services, but the vast majority of people must drive to work.
In the five years since we debated the issue, the travel-to-work area for Aberdeen has expanded. As Nora Radcliffe said, Ellon has dramatically expanded. As a result, even more people use the roads, but the A90 has not been upgraded. Nanette Milne referred to the many accidents that have resulted from the increase in traffic, and all of us recall the day recently when there were two accidents on that stretch of the A90, after which many constituents contacted us about the lack of progress in upgrading the road. Such accidents create havoc for the thousands of people who try to reach work in Aberdeen and lives are put at risk.
We could look further north and consider the north-east communities north of Aberdeen. A single carriageway goes beyond Ellon to Banff and Buchan. That is a crucial issue, as there are major industries in that part of the world—I refer to the St Fergus gas terminal, Peterhead power station, the fishing and farming communities and so on. The area is a major economic area, but it does not have major roads or a modern transport structure, which leaves it at a disadvantage. If the western peripheral route is built but the A90 north of Aberdeen is not upgraded, there is a danger of having some of the most modern transport infrastructure around Aberdeen joined to an antiquated single carriageway between Tipperty and Balmedie and north of Ellon.
It would be madness to build the western peripheral route—which would perhaps come out at Blackdog—and have a single carriageway joined to it. My concern is that the western peripheral route will act as a magnet for new investment to the area, but areas in the north-east beyond could be stuck with a single carriageway and at a further economic disadvantage. Any new investment in the area could stay around the western peripheral route, where there will be economic advantages and easy transport links. That is a concern.
We must remember that farming and fishing communities need more support. Today, hauliers and people involved in forestry, farming and fishing lobbied the Parliament. All of them suffer because of the single carriageway and they all seek a boost from the Government as a result of having to contend with other issues. They talked about the impact of the working time directive and rising fuel costs. Modernising the A90 north of Aberdeen would give a welcome boost to people in those industries.
Members call on the minister today to give a definite timescale for decisions and good news. We want to know when investment will be forthcoming. I plead with him to make the debate worth while and valuable by making an announcement that will progress the debate to the next stage so that we do not have to lodge similar motions to the one that Nanette Milne lodged. We do not want to be frustrated or have to come back to look for good news. I plead with the minister to give us and—more important—the residents who are affected and the communities in north-east Scotland good news.
I congratulate Nanette Milne on securing the debate. Members in the north-east have received many representations on the issue, which is reflected in the cross-party concern that has been expressed during the debate. There is concern not only about the congestion on the A90 between Tipperty and Balmedie and the potential for further congestion with developments in Ellon, but about meeting the Executive's aspirations for safety on our roads—Nanette Milne was right to highlight that.
Like other members, I have received communications from people who have been exasperated by lengthy journey times on the roads, and I wrote to the minister to highlight some of the concerns that have been expressed to me, and of which other members have spoken tonight. The minister's response pointed out that the Executive had previously advised NESTRANS that it would fund a multimodal assessment of the Balmedie to Tipperty section of the road, with £100,000 being invested in that. The study was to examine a range of options for improving the road. We have heard about the preferred options, which have been mentioned by people who have been in touch with us and by members. The latest NESTRANS progress summary states that an Executive response is still awaited to its submission on possible trunk road schemes, in which the A90 between Balmedie and Tipperty is discussed.
It strikes me that the debate comes, therefore, at an opportune time, as the minister weighs up what action should be taken to address this important issue. The concerns that are being expressed tonight reflect the widespread desire for the Executive to make a timeous decision on how the situation can be resolved. The minister is well aware of the many demands for improved transport infrastructure in that part of the north-east, and it is right that members have reflected on the needs beyond Aberdeen, in the north and in Banff and Buchan. However, although there are other important issues around the need to improve the infrastructure, especially north of Aberdeen, the A90 between Balmedie and Tipperty needs to be addressed and has been waiting to be addressed for quite some time.
It is important to acknowledge the significant progress that has been made so far in developing transport in our part of Scotland, with the western peripheral route and the proposal for the crossrail scheme. I hope that we are making progress on that, too. I hope that the welcome commitment that the Executive has shown to improving transport in north-east Scotland indicates that it will take action to address the concerns that have been expressed about the A90 not only in this debate, but by many people over a considerable time. I look forward to hearing the minister's response.
Having read a speech that I made five years ago this week, I was tempted simply to trot it out again and say that nothing much has changed. However, I must be honest; we now have a minor roundabout outside an industrial estate in Ellon and some minor works have been done around the Hatton bends.
Nevertheless, I will refresh the minister's memory and remind him of what I asked for five years ago: I called for the Hatton bends to be straightened because it was, and still is, a terrible accident black spot. I asked for dual carriageway all the way from Aberdeen to Peterhead and for the Aberdeen western peripheral route to be brought forward. The reasons for all those requests were road safety, economic development, housing development, the need to reduce congestion not just in Aberdeen, but to the north and north-west of the city, the need to tackle pollution in general and the lack of public transport. The few buses that were running were a cause of increased congestion on the road into Aberdeen, because if they stopped and there were no lay-bys the traffic ground to a halt.
I have mentioned the few little improvements that have been made, but I am very disappointed. I remind the minister while he is still the Minister for Transport—we do not know for how much longer—that tonight is an opportunity for him, as a north-east MSP, to appear to understand the social and economic needs of north-east communities and to use his influence. That influence is undoubted and will no doubt get much greater if he achieves the great advancement that he seeks and becomes—perhaps—Deputy First Minister with, possibly, a brief for transport. However, I see that the minister is doing nothing different from usual; like the previous transport minister, he has ducked and dived. Neither of them has made decisions on improvements in the area. Yes, we have a commitment to the Aberdeen western peripheral route, but there are problems with that—to which I will return—to do with connecting the north part of the A90 in Aberdeenshire with the south part of the A90.
Banff and Buchan has had its economy hammered by the closure of RAF Buchan, by cutbacks in agriculture and by the destruction of our fishing and fish-processing industries by the common fisheries policy. It is a scandal that the pan-European highway grinds to a halt at the Bridge of Dee—it is as if everything north of that does not exist. Why does the highway not go on to Peterhead, as was suggested in our roads plans a long time ago? The first Scottish minister to be responsible for that was Sarah Boyack. I spoke with her this evening, and she said, "It's not my fault now. Ask the current minister." So, I am asking the current minister.
The two authorities in Peterhead harbour are working together to try to expand the activities of the port. There has been an improvement in the marketplace for sea transport, but no port can compete seriously if it does not have good road or rail—or both—connections.
As Richard Lochhead said, some fuel protesters were in Parliament today, but they were not just here to talk about the fuel protest; they were also talking about the working time directive and the major threat to business in the north-east if hauliers cannot operate their lorries properly. A real dual carriageway all the way from the north-east will give an economic spur to brownfield sites around Aberdeen and to the north of Aberdeen. The lorry drivers will be able to go further more safely, and there will be fewer deaths. I ask the minister, as I asked the previous ministers who were responsible for transport: what price should we put on lives? Far too many lives have been lost on the A90 through Aberdeenshire.
Although a lot of inadequate measures have been taken, Nanette Milne is talking about a specific area. That is a green light; if we do not have a dual carriageway to the north of Aberdeen, it is pointless to think that the western peripheral route will be of any benefit to the communities to the north and north-west of Aberdeen. I ask the minister again, before he leaves his post—assuming that he is victorious; I give him my vote—will he give us a sensible answer about what timescales are involved in the decision-making process about dualling? On what other aspects of connection through the western peripheral route is he going to make announcements? Why is it that he has gone back on what the previous minister said to me some years ago, to the effect that the southern part of the western peripheral route was set in tablets of stone? What caused the further delay of having five routes, two of which do not meet the criteria for the Aberdeen western peripheral route and two others of which do not have a Scottish transport appraisal guidance assessment? All those would connect together to form a sensible approach by the minister, on behalf of the Executive, that would tell the people of the north-east that they are getting a fair share of transport infrastructure development in Scotland.
Presiding Officer, I got a signal that I could take 20 minutes for my speech—I will see what I can do.
As the member for Banff and Buchan, I open by gently advising some on the Conservative benches not to talk down Banff and Buchan. The case for improved transport into the north-east of Scotland is not based on the narrow self-interest of the people and businesses of the area, although they would undoubtedly benefit; it is much more substantial than that. We are a net contributor to the economy of Scotland and it is to the detriment of Scotland if the area is not invested in to enable us to raise our game even further. Indeed, in 1987, when my colleague Alex Salmond was elected, unemployment in the Banff and Buchan constituency was 1.2 times the Scottish average; today it is 0.4 times the Scottish average. Under Alex Salmond's benevolent leadership or dictatorship—call it what we will—we have exploited the opportunities with which nature, business and the climate have presented us. That might not be entirely down to Alex Salmond, but it certainly is in some part. However, we demand the opportunity to make even more of a contribution, and it is that on which I base my speech. There are challenges in Banff and Buchan, but there are also opportunities, which are much more important.
In that vein, I do not limit my ambitions in the way in which Nanette Milne does. I thank her for the opportunity for the debate, which is welcome. However, I think that we should have a dual carriageway all the way to Fraserburgh, not one that stops at the small town of Peterhead, although of course Peterhead is a very important town.
At last there has been some slight progress on the northern part of the A90. Today I received information about the Hatton bends tender. In the debate five years ago, Alex Salmond welcomed the commitment of the Executive to doing that work. The tender will go out on 26 May and the work will start on 22 August and continue for 45 weeks. Let us hope that the interruption is not too much.
The member has stolen my speech.
I am sorry if I have stolen the minister's speech, but I have shown how we in Banff and Buchan are well wired into what is going on. We will be better wired in with better roads.
Some statistics on injuries and deaths will help to anchor the debate. Between 1999 and 2003, six fatalities per year occurred in Aberdeen, whereas 25 per year took place in Aberdeenshire. That is despite the fact that the populations of the two areas are broadly similar, albeit that Aberdeenshire's is slightly bigger. Research shows that 50 per cent of accidents happen within two miles of home, so the problem is perhaps even more significant than that ratio would suggest. The total number of accidents for the period is 556 in Aberdeenshire and 424 in Aberdeen. Those figures demonstrate, perhaps not conclusively but illustratively, the nature of the problem.
After BEAR Scotland Ltd took over the maintenance of the part of the A90 that is the subject of tonight's debate, as well as the other parts of that road, some important issues became apparent that people had not previously realised. For example, BEAR had not realised that the A90 north of Aberdeen was the only part of its empire in which no alternative transport medium was available. Whereas every other bit of trunk road that BEAR was given connected places that, in the event of the road being blocked, could be accessed by railway, no railway goes to Ellon, Peterhead or Fraserburgh. Much though I might like such a railway to be built, I suspect that the cost to benefit ratio would make it unreasonable for me to demand one. However, once the Borders railway opens, mine will be the only parliamentary constituency in Scotland with neither an airport nor a railway. That illustrates a key point.
The fact that only a single carriageway goes to Peterhead produces effects that not all people might realise. For example, I am told that the speed limit on single carriageways for heavy goods vehicles is 40mph. Therefore, such vehicles travel at only two thirds of the speed at which they could travel if they were on a dual carriageway. That not only slows down commercial traffic to its detriment but increases the likelihood that queues of cars will build up, the drivers of which experience tremendous frustration. Frustration is one of the key causes of accidents. The minister might care to think about that issue.
Alex Salmond said in the debate in 2000:
"I greatly welcome the progress on the Hatton bends … I welcome the minister's commitment to the project."—[Official Report, 10 May 2000; Vol 6, c 496.]
It has, indeed, been a sair fecht and a long time.
I find it slightly ironic—as a mathematician, I always notice these things—that the debate on that day was on motion number S1M-737, in the name of David Davidson. In the north-east, we ain't jetting our way to a new transport infrastructure. If the Minister for Transport can tell us different, he will have our eternal gratitude.
I congratulate Nanette Milne on securing tonight's important debate on a scheme that I agree has taken too long to progress. I also congratulate Nora Radcliffe and Malcolm Bruce, who is the local MP, both of whom have regularly lobbied me and previous transport ministers for the upgrade.
Proposals for improving the stretch of road to which the motion refers go back much longer than the six years that Nanette Milne mentioned. In 1996, a scheme progressed to the stage at which a draft order was published and objections were received. However, no local public inquiry was held. Prior to that, there was a previous scheme for an on-line upgrade of the road. Given that history, which stretches way back, I can understand the frustration that exists at the lack of progress in upgrading the road.
As Nanette Milne mentioned, the STAG appraisal that was commissioned in early 2002 was not completed until November 2004. As had been agreed by the Executive, the STAG appraisal report was then treated as a draft final report, which was passed to NESTRANS for comment. That happened towards the end of the year.
Nanette Milne also mentioned that NESTRANS has now made quite significant technical comments on the draft final report. Those comments have been received by the Scottish Executive but, given their nature, they have to be discussed with the consultant involved, and we shall ensure that that happens between the consultant, NESTRANS and the Executive officials involved as quickly as possible, and I shall ensure that that work is completed quickly. As soon as that is done, I will receive a report on the outcome and will reach an early decision on the best way forward.
I was deeply concerned at the recent tragic accident on that stretch of road, and I am aware of the frustration and great inconvenience caused by delays when there are road accidents or significant congestion on the route. The Executive has paid close attention to the representations made by the local communities served by the route. We shall fully investigate the circumstances of the recent fatal accident and take appropriate short-term measures based on the recommendations of the technical report. However, I realise that short-term measures are not enough, and I am determined to make a positive announcement about the improvement of the Balmedie-Tipperty section of the A90 as soon as possible.
Meeting closed at 17:31.