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Parliamentary committee warns football pitches must be secured
before rail link can proceed

CGARL | 002/2006 | 30 October 2006

Commitments must be made to provide four football pitches in Paisley before work can commence on the Glasgow Airport Rail Link – a parliamentary committee said today.

Reporting its decision on the remaining objections to the rail link, the bill committee pledged to make a series of improvements to legal requirements which will reduce the impact of construction on local residents. The hours during which construction can take place have also been reduced and a greater role in monitoring given to local authorities.

The Glasgow Airport Rail Link Bill Committee expressed its content that the costs of the scheme will be properly monitored but requests that the line operating hours are given careful consideration to see if they can be extended.

It also demanded commitments to upgrade the existing football pitches at St James Park and to provide two new pitches at Ferguslie Park before work on the link begins at St James Park.

Committee convener Margaret Jamieson MSP said:

"We fully endorse the report by the independent assessor, Professor Hugh Begg, and are grateful to him for the clear, consistent and transparent approach he adopted.

"We will amend the Bill to increase significantly the protections offered to those affected by the rail link’s construction and to ensure greater consultation rights for local people during this period.

"We have also reduced the initial period available to the promoter in which to undertake construction in the hope that this will reduce anxiety and uncertainty for affected people and focus energies on starting work as soon as possible.”

Deputy convener Marlyn Glen said:

"We are pleased to support the business case for the Bill and are heartened by the close monitoring of costs that is being undertaken. The Committee has, however, expressed frustration at the time parties have taken to negotiate settlements and at the consequential time wasted while that process was dragging on. Recommendations have been made to ensure future Private Bills can be monitored more closely.

"We look forward to the time when travellers to and from Glasgow Airport can utilise a fast, modern and efficient rail link to Glasgow City Centre.”

Background to the Bill

The Glasgow Airport Rail Link Bill is being promoted by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT). SPT is seeking statutory powers to construct a rail link between Glasgow Central Station and a new station at Glasgow Airport. The work is expected to cost £160 million.

• The Bill was introduced to Parliament on 31 January 2006 . A total of 47 admissible objections were lodged.

The general principles of the Bill were agreed by Parliament on 21 June following publication of the Committee’s Preliminary Stage report.

This report gave preliminary consideration to all the objections lodged against the Bill and rejected those where the objector’s interests were, in its opinion, not clearly adversely affected. At the commencement of Consideration Stage (22 June) there were 42 objections outstanding. The report gives the Committee’s decision on each objection which remained outstanding.

Background to Private Bills

Private Bills are subject to different procedures than those set out for a Public Bill. Chapter 9A of Standing Orders and the Guidance on Private Bills set out the procedures in full. Private Bills are subject to a three Stage process: Preliminary Stage, Consideration Stage and Final Stage.

Consideration Stage is in two phases. The first phase involves evidence being taken from the promoter and objectors to the Bill. For the first time in Private Bill procedure, evidence was heard by an independent assessor, Professor Hugh Begg, who was appointed by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body on 23 June 2006 to hear and consider evidence on the objections. The assessor then reported to the Committee who could have taken further evidence on objections if it wished. It is the Committee and not the assessor who makes the decision whether to accept or reject objections and whether to amend the Bill to meet any issues raised by objectors.

Having reported with its decision on every outstanding objection to the Bill the second phase of Consideration Stage is purely legislative, dealing with amendments to the Bill. The Final Stage involves possible further amendments, followed by a debate in the Parliament and a vote on whether to agree or reject the Bill in its final form.

Consideration Stage Report on the Glasgow Airport Rail Link Bill

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