Issue - meetings

(i)        to approve the recommended options resulting from the External Transportation Links to the Aberdeen South Harbour Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) Pre-Appraisal and STAG Part 1 Appraisal Report, as detailed in the table at Section 3.9, subject to approval by the UK Government and Scottish Government;

(ii)       to instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to conduct a STAG Part 2 Appraisal on those options and to report the outcomes to this Committee upon completion, conduct of that Appraisal being subject to prior approval by the Strategic Commissioning Committee of the total estimated expenditure in relation to that Appraisal; and

(iii)      to recognise the community concerns in relation to some options but appreciate that the recommended options must be subject to an evidence-based appraisal to minimise the risk of a successful challenge to the option ultimately selected.

With reference to article 32 of the minute of meeting of the Communities, Housing and Infrastructure Committee of 29 August 2017, the Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning which (1) outlined the outcomes of the External Transportation Links to the Aberdeen South Harbour Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) Pre-Appraisal and STAG Part 1 Appraisal report; and (2) sought approval for recommended options to be taken forward to a STAG Part 2 Appraisal.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      approve the recommended options resulting from the External Transportation Links to the Aberdeen South Harbour Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) Pre-Appraisal and STAG Part 1 Appraisal Report, as detailed in the table at Section 3.9, subject to approval by the UK Government and Scottish Government; and

(b)      instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to conduct a STAG Part 2 Appraisal on those options and to report the outcomes to this Committee upon completion, conduct of that Appraisal being subject to prior approval by the Strategic Commissioning Committee of the total estimated expenditure in relation to that Appraisal,

The Convener, seconded by the Vice Convener moved:-

          that the Committee –

(a)        approve the recommendations; and

(b)        recognises the community concerns in relation to some options but appreciate that the recommended options must be subject to an evidence-based appraisal to minimise the risk of a successful challenge to the option ultimately selected.

Councillor Nicoll, seconded by Councillor Mackenzie moved as an amendment:-

that the Committee –

(a)      approve the recommended options resulting from the External Transportation Links to the Aberdeen Harbour Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) Pre-Appraisal and STAG Part 1 Appraisal Report, as detailed in the table at section 3.9 of the committee report, with the exception of options A2 and A5, which the committee agree to reject, subject to the approval by the UK Government and the Scottish Government; and

(b)      instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to conduct a STAG Part 2 Appraisal on the remaining options; A3, A4, B1, B2, C1 and C3 respectively and to report the outcomes to this Committee upon completion of that Appraisal.

On a division, there voted:- for the motion (5) – the Convener, the Vice Convener and Councillors Boulton, Donnelly and Laing; for the amendment (4) – Councillors Flynn, Catriona Mackenzie, Nicoll and Yuill.

The Committee resolved:-

to adopt the motion.