Agenda item

The Committee had before it a report by the Executive Director City Regeneration and Environment which presented the Aberdeen Rapid Transit (ART) Strategic Business Case (SBC) for endorsement and made recommendations on the preferred way forward, including future engagement and the proposed scope of the Outline Business Case (OBC).  The report also provided an update on the associated workstream being progressed by the North East Bus Alliance to develop a Bus Services Improvement Partnership Plan (BSIP) and the recent bid to the Scottish Government’s Bus Infrastructure Fund.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      endorse the Aberdeen Rapid Transit Strategic Business Case as provided in Appendix A of the report;

(b)      endorse the progression of Aberdeen Rapid Transit to a Programme Level Outline Business Case, funded through the City Region Deal, which would further develop the overarching business case and phasing under which individual elements of the scheme could develop;

(c)      endorse the progression of options 5 and 5A (as set out in Table 2 of the report) for further development and appraisal through the proposed Outline Business Case;

(d)      endorse the progression of ‘approach 3’ in relation to active travel, as outlined in Table 3 of the report, for further development and appraisal through the proposed Outline Business Case;

(e)      endorse the continued consideration of both Bus Services Improvement

Partnership agreements and bus franchising as options for delivery of ART through the proposed Outline Business Case;

(f)       note that a BSIP agreement provided a delivery mechanism that could support a phased approach to delivery in the shorter term (when compared to bus franchising) and that this would enable partners to capitalise on external funding opportunities and bring in private sector investment;

(g)      instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to work with the partners of the North East Bus Alliance on a joint network review as a first and critical step in understanding to what extent Aberdeen Rapid Transit could be delivered through a Bus Services Improvement Partnership agreement, and use the outcome of this exercise to inform the proposed Outline Business Case;

(h)      instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to continue to undertake engagement, as appropriate, with the public and stakeholders on the development of Aberdeen Rapid Transit to inform the proposed Outline Business Case; and

(i)       instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to report back to Finance and Resources Committee on the conclusion of the proposed Programme Level Outline Business Case by the end of 2026/27 financial year.

The Convener, seconded by Councillor Greig, moved:-

That the Committee:-

(a)      note funding to progress from the Strategic Business Case to the Programme Level Outline Business Case had been secured by the Aberdeen City Region Deal, therefore agree the report recommendations (with the exception of (i)), and instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to work with the Director of Nestrans to bring all further reports on Aberdeen Rapid Transit to the City Region Deal Joint Committee, in line with the existing delegations granted to the Joint Committee; and

(b)      instruct the Chief Officer – Capital to deliver the infrastructure improvements as detailed at 3.55 of the report, if the funding bid to Transport Scotland’s Bus Infrastructure Fund for 2025/26 was successful, following consultation with the Convener of the Finance and Resources Committee and the Convener of the Net Zero, Environment and Transport Committee around final design, and provide a service update (instead of reporting back as per 3.56 in the report) detailing programme of works only if any funding bid was successful.

Councillor Tissera, seconded by Councillor Malik, moved as an amendment:-

That the Committee:-

(a)      note the contents of the report;

(b)      agree that without Scottish Government support, there was still huge doubt as to the viability of the project;

(c)      agree the Aberdeen Rapid Transit project was reliant on support from the Bus Partnership Fund (BPF) and that despite the Scottish Government receiving a record £50billion funding settlement by the UK Labour Government, the BPF remained in limbo; and

(d)      agree the UK Labour Government had recognised the importance of investment in public transport right across England with significant additional funding awarded to valid Transport projects right across England, and instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning, following consultation with the Convenor of the Finance and Resources Committee, to write to the Scottish Government asking them to reinstate the Bus Partnership Fund to allow the Aberdeen Rapid Transit project to proceed at pace.

On a division, there voted:- for the motion (5) – the Convener; and Councillors Greig, Henrickson, Hutchison and McLellan; for the amendment (4) – Councillors Brooks, Malik, Nicoll and Tissera.

The Committee resolved:-

to adopt the motion.