Council Plans for AWPR tax criticised

Said Cllr Martin Ford, "Effectively this is an admission that this road is unaffordable. While the final cost of the road is still unknown, it will certainly be far more than the officially claimed £295-£395 million. After all, £100 million has been spent already and construction has not started."

On the basis that the final cost of the road could easily be over £800 million and Aberdeenshire Council has to find 9.5 per cent of that, the extra tax could be as much as £700 per Council-Tax-paying household in Aberdeenshire. (See note 2)

Cllr Ford continued: "Quite apart from any consideration of whether people will be willing or able to pay the 'WPR Tax', the WPR is simply not a sensible use of a very large amount of money.

"Going ahead with the construction of this road makes no sense at all in the context of the legislation committing Scotland to reducing carbon emissions. At best, the road would be a huge waste of money in a future where traffic volumes have been drastically reduced by a combination of much improved public transport, better land use planning and alternatives to travel. At worst, the road will increase car dependency and increase greenhouse gas emissions.

"Looked at either way, building the WPR now would be a ghastly strategic mistake, and a mistake we cannot afford to make."

Councillor Martin Ford represents the East Garioch ward on Aberdeenshire Council. He sits as a Democratic Independent councillor and is a
member of the Scottish Green Party.

ENDS

Notes:

1. Aberdeenshire Council officials have suggested that a new tax could be introduced to help pay for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.
See http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1814431/

2. 9.5 per cent of £800 million is £76 million. Aberdeenshire Council levies Council Tax on almost 109,000 households.