SNP accused of jeopardising Edinburgh North-South tramline project by opposing alternate routes
Edinburgh transport convener Stephen Jenkinson has accused the SNP of being "premature and reckless" in opposing both the Roseburn Path and Orchard Brae options for the city's new North-South tramline and claimed its stance jeopardised the entire project.
He also accused the Nationalists of nimbyism and courting middle class voters at the Scottish Parliament elections.
The SNP group on the council has said it does not believe either of the options put forward for the northern part of the proposed new tramline, from Granton to the city centre, is the right solution.
And it wants work to start first on the southern section of the line, from the city centre to the Royal Infirmary, while officials find another route in the north.
The position was set out yesterday by SNP councillor Euan Hyslop, who is the party's candidate in the new Edinburgh Northern seat at the Holyrood elections.
Cllr Jenkinson said: "The best decisions are always grounded in clear evidence and robust data; the worst are always made in the middle of an election.
"Cllr Hyslop has now set the SNP group against the north element of the North-South tram route before the consultation results are published in June and well before the strategic business case arrives in September.
"It's a premature and reckless position that clearly puts the entire project at risk.
"It's a desperate move to court middle class voters in Roseburn. Communities in Drylaw, Granton and Muirhouse, who would be the main beneficiaries of this scheme, are obviously expendable to Cllr Hyslop and the SNP.
"It's naked nimbyism so blatant it would make even the Lib Dems squirm.
“As for me, I have a job to do and it will be done properly, professionally and with purpose. I want to see the consultation results, the data and the strategic business case and I want to be convinced."
Cllr Jenkinson also suggested it would be difficult to find another route from Granton to the city centre. "A lot of work has gone into the various route options and I'm not aware there are any other viable or realistic options for the northern leg that would support the development of this project."
The Roseburn Path route has been strongly opposed by campaigners determined to preserve a popular walking and cycling route and a “green oasis”. The Orchard Brae route would involve trams crossing Dean Bridge, which is seen as a major engineering challenge.
Lib Dem transport spokesman Kevin Lang said his group had long been opposed to using the Roseburn Path for the new tramline and claimed the SNP's "Damascene conversion" was tied to the election in Edinburgh Northern, which is regarded as a close fight between the SNP and Lib Dems.
Cllr Lang said: "SNP councillors have been dragged kicking and screaming into protecting the Roseburn Path and I don't think it's a coincidence they're doing this four weeks before an elections that they're worried about losing to the Liberal Democrats.
"We have been very clear from the start that we would not support losing the Roseburn Path for the tram. But when we put forward a proposal to take the Roseburn Path option effectively off the table, the SNP opposed it.
“So they had the chance at an early stage to make it clear the Roseburn Path wouldn't be used and they rejected that.
"I think it's cynical electioneering of the worst kind because in the council it has been the Lib Dems who have led the charge on protecting the path and this Damscene conversion by the SNP shows just how scared they are of losing Edinburgh Northern to the Lib Dems."
He said if the SNP was against the Roseburn Path route that was welcome. But he continued: "The question is, will the SNP position after the election be the position they're taking now or will it be the position they took just months ago at the time of the consultation?"
Cllr Lang was also sceptical about finding an alternative route. He said: "I would love to know what other route they've suggesting. I think it's important to the people of North Edinburgh that the SNP come clean on what this other route is and what may have to be demolished along the way to facilitate it."
But he said his group's biggest concern was who was going to pay for the new line.
"Whatever the route is, north or south, nobody has yet answered the question how will this be paid for? The Scottish Government say they're not paying for it, the UK Government has not given any indication they're paying for it, the administration say the council taxpayer is not paying for it.
"We are in favour of the principle of the tram - but that cannot be at any cost and there needs to be full openness and transparency on what the cost would be and who would pay for it. Until those questions are answered we cannot support progressing the scheme.”
Tory group leader Iain Whyte questioned the likelihood of finding another route for the northern section of the line.
“The Roseburn Path campaigners suggested another route which meant going all the way along to Leith, which defeats the purpose of going to Granton on a fast line that would attract passengers. If you take them another 20-30 minutes out of their way they're not going to use the tram, they'll get on the bus.
“It’s a difficult choice for the council because there is a strong group of campaigners, but ultimately parliamentary permissions are in place for the Roseburn corridor and there will be a walking / cycling path alongside it, so it does seem odd to go back on that.”
But he said the big question where the £2bn-£3bn needed to pay for the project would come from.
“Neither government has come any money; the council doesn't have any money - we're borrowed up to the eyeballs; and the last tie they talked about it the Scottish Government said there was definitely no money.
"So the SNP, if they think there's going to be a tram anywhere, they need to be speaking to their colleagues in government and now running an election campaign.
"Until you get some kind of guarantee of funding, the whole thing is fantasy."