Investment in schools not unaffordable roads

Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire Greens are committed to ensuring that spending on the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) will not be at the expense of education. We believe that we must continue to invest in our young people for the sake of our future prosperity.

The school estate is currently under severe stress, especially in Aberdeenshire. It is accepted that Ellon, Kemnay and Inverurie Academies and Kinellar Primary are in urgent need of expansion and replacement.  Kintore Primary is so much oversubscribed that development in the catchment area has had to be halted.

And further pressures will stem from the enormous scale of development scheduled from the A90 and A96 corridor in the Structure Plan.

The AWPR was estimated at £295m - £395m but with over £100m already spent, the Scottish Government now admits that the final bill will be much higher.  Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council are each required to find 9.5% of the bill - £37m or more each.

At the same time, Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City face enormous pressure on spending. The Accounts Commision say that real term decreases from 2008/9 to 2013/14 are likely to be 7%-13%.  Aberdeenshire is facing a single year drop in capital funding of 25% from £39m to £25m. Hard choices on priorities are inevitable.

Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire Greens believe this unaffordable and damaging road project must not impact our ability to invest in education.