Frustration has been raised by councillors across the southeast of Scotland over delays to the Sheriffhall roundabout flyover project, who were told an update from the Scottish Government would come \u2018at some point\u2019.<\/p>\n
Councillors from Edinburgh, Fife, Midlothian and the Borders were present at a meeting with a Transport Scotland representative where progress on the roundabout was discussed.<\/p>\n
Several of them said that they were being consistently approached by constituents with questions over what was happening with the project.<\/p>\n
If completed, the project will see a flyover built over the congested roundabout, where the City Bypass, the A7 and the A6106 all currently meet at ground level.<\/p>\n
Project manager and engineer Gavin Dyet, who directs design and promotion of the scheme, represented Transport Scotland to the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Joint Deal committee on Friday.<\/p>\n
He said Scottish transport secretary Fiona Hyslop \u201crealised it was a priority scheme for partners\u201d, and that the Scottish Government was committed to it.<\/p>\n
East Lothian council\u2019s Labour leader, Councillor Norman Hampshire, asked Mr Dyet: \u201cIt\u2019s two years next month since you said there were 1,200 pieces of evidence you had to scrutinise.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s the number of people you\u2019ve got looking at these 1,200 pieces of evidence? Obviously, the economic impact [of the delay] is absolutely huge.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the most congested area in the whole network in Scotland, why aren\u2019t we getting this resolved more quickly than we currently are?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Dyet replied: \u201cI\u2019m in the promotion side, there\u2019s an information barrier between the team who are looking at the reporter\u2019s report. So there\u2019s that degree of separation.\u201d<\/p>\n
But he added that Transport Scotland CEO Alison Irving had confirmed to councils that there were \u2018sufficient resources\u2019 working on the evidence.<\/p>\n
Both Cllr Hampshire and Mr Dyet were referring to evidence submitted to a public inquiry held two years ago into the state of the roundabout project.<\/p>\n
The East Lothian council leader also mentioned the rising cost projections for the flyover, which could cost as much as \u00a3300 million despite an initial \u00a3120m pricetag.<\/p>\n
Scottish Borders Conservative council leader, Councillor Euan Jardine, told Mr Dyet: \u201cI\u2019m sure you\u2019ve pulled the short straw at Transport Scotland to come and sit in front of us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Dyet, who was attending the meeting in Edinburgh\u2019s BioQuarter via Microsoft Teams, replied \u201cnot at all\u201d, while smiling.<\/p>\n
Cllr Jardine continued to ask him: \u201cThere\u2019s talk about this 1,200 evidence that needs to be looked at. But we don\u2019t know how much we\u2019ve actually looked at already.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re in here talking about supercomputers, we\u2019re in this hub that\u2019s talking about AI, all of these different things that can actually do things a lot more efficiently than a human can. Why aren\u2019t we looking at that?<\/p>\n
\u201cIn a previous meeting, we have called for the CEO, Alison Irving, to come to this meeting to discuss, which she has not done.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just have Gavin here, and I\u2019m sure you\u2019re really highly capable, but we asked for that, and we\u2019ve not been given it. And it just feels like we\u2019re being pushed, and pushed, and pushed back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Dyet said Ms Irving had been asked to the previous City Deal meeting a relatively short time before it happened, and was not free.<\/p>\n
And he said that she had not been officially invited to the meeting which took place on Friday, but that she was otherwise engaged anyway.<\/p>\n
He continued: \u201cAs I said, I\u2019m not involved in that side. I\u2019m on the promotion team, I\u2019m looking to take the project through the statutory process.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll I can reiterate is that there\u2019s a team working on the advice, and that it will come at some point. As I said, there\u2019s an information barrier with the team who are working on it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cllr Jardine also mentioned that people who did not know what the City Deal was were approaching him and public and asking about the roundabout.<\/p>\n
He asked if attempts could be made to set up a meeting between the committee and Ms Irving, which Edinburgh\u2019s Labour council leader and committee convener, Councillor Jane Meagher, said she would try to do.<\/p>\n
Midlothian Council chief executive Dr Grace Vickers said: \u201cOn behalf of Midlothian, I want to communicate that we are deeply frustrated at the lack of progress in Sheriffhall.<\/p>\n
\u201cMidlothian is the fastest-growing local authority, East Lothian is the second fastest growing local authority in Scotland, and we desperately need the Sheriffhall transport solution.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo my ask today, if you could please take this back to Alison, and that as a matter of urgency, you prioritise this project and provide a clear timeline for its commencement.<\/p>\n
\u201cA commitment to action is essential for us in Midlothian to restore public confidence in the delivery of this vital improvement.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Dyet said he would take the request back to Transport Scotland.<\/p>\n
Fife Labour finance spokesperson, Councillor Altany Craik, said: \u201cEuan has expressed our frustration very articulately. I think you can tell where we are in terms of this.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy question was really about adequate resourcing. And I know, Gavin, you\u2019re not in a position to say much more on that, and that\u2019s fine.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut if we don\u2019t know what date we\u2019re aiming at, how can we be adequately resourced?<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is definitely something that needs to be moving quicker than it is, but no point in beating you with a big stick about that when it\u2019s already been done.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cllr Meagher addressed Mr Dyet, saying: \u201cWe do understand that you are the messenger, and I know you have picked up the strength of feeling on the part of this committee.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope you\u2019ll be able to convey that, and I\u2019m confident, too, that you won\u2019t take it as a personal attack on you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Dyet said he was \u2018really excited\u2019 to see the project progressed, but that he appreciated the frustration councillors had.<\/p>\n
By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter<\/p>\n