Colin Beattie MSP | Midlothian North & Musselburgh
  • Home
  • About
  • Constituency News
  • Contact
  • Esk River Improvement Group
  • Annual Report
  • Privacy Policy
  • Home
  • About
  • Constituency News
  • Contact
  • Esk River Improvement Group
  • Annual Report
  • Privacy Policy

GREENS PUT THE BRAKES ON SHERIFFHALL UPGRADE

28/2/2020

0 Comments

 
Local MSPs Christine Grahame and Colin Beattie have criticised the Scottish Green Party for demanding a halt to improvements to Sheriffhall as a condition of them agreeing to the Scottish budget. As a minority government, the Scottish Government has to make a deal with at least one opposition party to get its budget passed, in this case the Greens.
 
The budget, negotiated by Cabinet Secretary for Finance Kate Forbes MSP, will see measures including investments of £15 billion in health and care services, a £60 million overall budget increase for Police Scotland with £50 million of investment for frontline services and £95m of additional funding for local government, taking total Scottish Government support for local authorities to £589 million.
 
It will also include a £45m package of investment in low carbon projects to help tackle climate change, however the Greens have insisted Sheriffhall improvement plans are subject to review as part of their agreement. The Greens have long demanded a halt to what they see as road improvements, arguing roads should be left as they are so as to put people off of using their cars, having opposed work at Sheriffhall for some time.
 
Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, said:
 
“The review of planned improvements to Sheriffhall will simply cause the current bottleneck to continue with longer delays whilst vehicles spew out more fumes as they idle from the A1 to the Pentlands and on the A7 and A6106 because of the continuing congestion. Cyclists and pedestrians will also continue to not have safe passage across the bypass, plans for which are in the current improvement plans, and buses will be trapped in the tailbacks.
 
Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, said:
“I understand why the Scottish Government have agreed to this pause in order keep our public services properly funded in other areas of the budget, however what the Green Party need to understand is that there is nothing Green about blocking these plans. The Sheriffhall upgrades include important provisions for cyclists and pedestrians which don’t currently exist. These upgrades are vital in offering alternative routes of transport in the constituency. These improvements are also urgently needed to improve the traffic flow of all vehicles, including public transport and the plans would lower emissions from idling cars. Anyone who uses the bypass regularly understands this is a major issue that needs to be addressing, and the Sheriffhall roundabout upgrades could be the solution to this issue.
 
“I have no doubt our constituents will remember this when they go to the ballot box next year.”
​
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Parliamentary Work

    Picture
    Click here to find out what I've been doing in Parliament!

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013


    Links

    Picture
    Picture

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.