Transport secretary Fiona Hyslop briefed Inverness-Nairn dualling would not happen this decade but said nothing as Fergus Ewing slams ‘cover-up and secrecy’
Fresh revelations about how much it will cost and how long it will take to dual the A96 from Inverness to Nairn has prompted the local MSP to ask why people should trust the Scottish Government.
Fergus Ewing discovered via a Freedom of Information request that Transport Scotland expects the project will take at least six-and-a-half years and cost between £375 million and £475 million.
The information emerged in a briefing to transport secretary Fiona Hyslop, with fellow SNP member Mr Ewing angered that she did not mention it at The Inverness Courier’s Build the Bypass event held in Nairn in May.
At that event in May, Mr Ewing said: “I think more candour when one has broken promises is in order.”
This week he said: “The cover-up and secrecy by Transport Scotland and government ministers has gone on for far too long.”
The briefing to Ms Hyslop revealed the latest cost estimate for A96 dualling from Inverness to Nairn is approximately £375 million to £475 million at 2014 prices, not including VAT.
Setting out a broad timetable for work the briefing says it will take 18-24 months to acquire the land for the project identified in Made Orders, develop the business case and undertake work to determine the procurement option.
It would then take another 18-24 months to undertake the procurement competition, appoint a contractor and progress advance works with main construction expected to take between 42 and 48 months as a minimum, subject to contract type and phasing of works.
Both of the above elements are subject to future allocation of required funding and governance and/or ministerial approval to progress.
Mr Ewing said: “That timescale and these figures will come as a great shock to many people in Nairn.
“Though provided to the Cabinet Secretary, these were not mentioned at the public meeting held in Nairn on May 31. The total costs will have risen since 2014.
“My priority now is to force the Scottish Government to announce a detailed plan stating when this section of the road will be dualled. They say that they remain fully committed to this dualling project.
“An outline plan for dualling the A9 was published last December. If it can be done for the A9, why not the A96? Both roads were the subject of pledges by the SNP since 2008.”
He continued: “Maybe the explanation was contained in the several sections of the advice provided for the public meeting to the Cabinet Secretary, which have not been made public but redacted.
“So my question is this: If the Scottish Government won’t trust the people with the full facts and whole truth, why should the people trust the government on the pledges it makes, especially since the pledge to dual the whole A96 has been broken?
“It is time that they come clean and treat my constituents like grown ups. The cover-up and secrecy by Transport Scotland and government ministers has gone on for far too long.
“I shall of course be appealing against the refusal to make all advice public and will go to the Freedom of Information Commissioner if necessary. I hope that this campaigning paper, and the people of Nairn will support this move.
“If the public interest is as great as I believe it to be then the Scottish Government refusal may well be adjudged to be illegal by the commissioner.”
A Transport Scotland spokesman said: “The Scottish Government is committed to delivering the A96 Dualling Inverness to Nairn (including Nairn Bypass) scheme and the publication of the Made Orders for the scheme in March was a strong sign of our commitment to build this key project.
“Completion of the statutory process clears the way for ministers to acquire the land required to construct the scheme and we are pressing ahead with the procedural steps to make this happen.
“Work has also commenced to determine the most suitable procurement option for delivering the scheme and thereafter a timetable for progress can then be set in line with available budgets.”
