Edinburgh Trams

Tram Support - Local Elections May 17

The article was published in the Edinburgh Evening News on 16th June 2017. 

Click here to see the original article

Labour and the SNP have formally signed a coalition agreement to run the City of Edinburgh Council.

The parties on Thursday agreed to work together to lead the council following the local government elections on May 4.

The coalition agreement was signed on Friday by group leaders councillor Adam McVey of the SNP and Cammy Day from Labour. It focuses on several key areas, including the construction of 20,000 affordable new homes, investment in transport infrastructure, improving waste services and roads maintenance, and the delivery of a City Region Deal.

The coalition will also target educational attainment, building two new secondary schools and 10 new primaries by 2021. The SNP was the largest party following the elections on May 4, taking 19 of the available 63 seats.

However they were short of a majority as the Scottish Conservatives finished just behind them on 18 seats, while Labour took 12, the Greens secured eight and the Liberal Democrats six. Mr McVey said: “I am pleased that we have been able to reach this agreement, which will provide stable leadership for the council moving forward.

“This administration will implement a progressive policy agenda which will have as our top priority the improvement of our core public services and dealing with the key issues that face the people of our capital. “As the city’s youngest ever council leader, I’m keen to bring a new vision to our exciting and vibrant capital. “The SNP and Labour teams are ready to get to work for the city bringing an energetic, determined approach to address Edinburgh’s needs.” Edinburgh Council was previously run by a Labour-SNP coalition after the parties took 20 and 18 seats respectively in 2012.

Mr Day said: “Labour and the SNP can offer the strong partnership required to lead the council, and we look forward to working together and putting Edinburgh first. “Our vision has always been to progress projects and policies which benefit the citizens of Edinburgh and we will continue this throughout our term of office, working with our trade union colleagues and devolving decision-making to local communities as far as possible. “I call on the Greens to join and support our vision of how we can unleash our city’s potential.”

Andrew Kerr, chief executive of the council, said: “I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the new leaders of the City of Edinburgh Council. “I look forward to working with them over the next five years to achieve the best for the people of Edinburgh, and to achieve our vision for the capital as a city of the future.”

Details are awaited on  news of the extension for the tram network to Newhaven. 

SNP set terms for supporting Edinburgh Trams Network extension to Newhaven which were reported by Edinburgh Newspaper - Edinburgh Evening News - which ran the following article on Monday 10th April 2017 - 

"The party says it will not progress the plans to take the line down Leith Walk and on to Newhaven without an assurance the project will be properly managed, disruption will be kept to an absolute minimum and small and independent businesses will be supported throughout the works.

The manifesto says the SNP supports the tram extension in principle, adding: “We believe that extending the tram represents the best means of building the capacity we need in our public transport network and unlocking the economic potential of communities across the city.”

But it warns: “We recognise that to instil public confidence in tram extension, the project must be delivered on time and on budget without placing undue pressure on the city’s finances.”

The business case for the extension is due to be considered by the council in June. Labour has committed itself to completing the tram route.

The original article can be viewed by clicking here

http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/politics/snp-sets-conditions-for-giving-ok-to-tram-extension-1-4415848

Article from Edinburgh Evening News 

EDINBURGH Tories want to scrap plans to introduce new Sunday parking charges and suspend the remaining phases of the Capital’s 20mph rollout.
The party also promised to reject the current business plan for extending the tram network as city Conservatives unveiled their council election manifes.

Reject current business case for extension of tram line as too long and expensive.

for the full article please click here -

http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/tories-plan-to-scrap-new-sunday-parking-charges-in-manifesto-1-4419447

The result of the local council election from 4th May 2017 was -  

Scottish Nationlist Party 19

Conservative  18

Labour 12

Scottish Green 8

Liberal Democrats 6

It may be some time until we know if the expected extension to the tram network will take place. 

The General Election of MP of the UK (Westmister) Parliament takes place on 8th June 2017.  

Dates of future elections
UK Parliamentary General Election - 8 June 2017
European Parliamentary Election - 2019 (date to be confirmed and subject to the UK's membership of the European Union)
Community Council Elections - September or October 2019
Scottish Parliament Elections - 6 May 2021

An announcement was made - Tuesday 30 May 2017

The original article can be read at Edinburgh Evening News site by clicking here.

City deal won’t pay for £162m Edinburgh tram extension.

THE Capital’s long-awaited City Deal has been ruled out as a source of funding for the proposed extension to the city’s tramline. An addition to the existing 14km (8.7-mile) tram route had long been touted as one of the infrastructure projects which could be financed through the £1 billion-plus package of investment from the UK and Scottish governments. The City Deal, which also covers the other three Lothian councils and Fife and Borders, has yet to be unveiled. But the Evening News understands Scottish ministers have vetoed using any of the cash for a tram extension.

Councillors are due to decide soon on whether to go ahead with an extension down Leith Walk and on to Newhaven, last estimated at £162 million. Senior council sources indicated that in the absence of City Deal funding, the extension could be paid for by borrowing money and repaying it from future fare revenues. The council already has an agreement with Lothian Buses that the council-owned company will provide a £20m extraordinary dividend to help fund the project’s initial stages. The tracks for the extension to Newhaven were bought as part of the original tram contract, before the route was curtailed as costs soared. The tram vehicles were also bought.

A final decision on whether to go ahead was postponed until after the council elections. Labour fought the May 4 local elections saying it wanted to go ahead and complete the line. The SNP backed the idea in principle, but said it would only press ahead if there was a robust business case and disruption was kept to a minimum. The Tories argued the project, as proposed, would cost too much and take too long to complete. Tory group leader Iain Whyte said the exclusion of the tram extension from the City Deal came as no surprise. “The tram extension has always been in the realms of the politically controversial and I’m sure all parties to the deal will want to see it as overwhelmingly positive.

“I believe there should be a fresh look at whether the tram extension is affordable. The capital costs in the business case are exceedingly high – those really do need to be reviewed. “The Edinburgh public would not forgive us if they saw us throw money at something on the basis it would make the route profitable in the long-term. It has to make sense in terms of the capital costs. “If it is not part of the City Deal it allows the newly elected council to review it properly and come to a reasonable conclusion on whether some can be done in a reasonable timescale and at reasonable cost.” SNP group leader Adam McVey said: “The SNP believes the tram extension will be a positive investment for the 
city, but we think it can and should be self-financing and we are looking to make the investment along these terms.”