The long-awaited Tay Cities Deal has been left “in limbo”, the Lib Dems have claimed.
Writing to both the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Scottish leader Willie Rennie and North East MP Wendy Chamberlain claim the value of each agreed project is at risk of “diminishing”.
The heads of term for the deal was reached in November 2018, but fears have been raised that the full potential of the agreement could be missed due to delays in finalising, in part due to the general election of December 2019.
Disappointment as Tay Cities Deal final sign-off delayed by election
Both Lib Dem figures are now calling on the Holyrood and Westminster leaders to get together at the “earliest time possible” to ensure the money and deal is delivered.
The letter
Many residents across Tayside are frustrated by the lack of progress on the Tay Cities Deal.
For every day that this deal is not signed and funds are not released, potential costs rise and the value of the projects potentially diminishes.
Without the funds being released to potential projects or without a time frame of when they will be, proper planning cannot be take place and we run the risk of even longer inadvertent delays.
We are writing to ask you when you intend to meet to sign the Tay Cities Deal and that if a date has not yet been set, that you agree to meet at the earliest possible time.
To extract the full value of the Tay Cities Deal, we must see action quickly so that proper planning and implementation can take place.
We are asking that a date for the final sign off is agreed within the coming weeks so that this vital investment can take place as soon as possible.
Yours sincerely,
Willie Rennie MSP
Member of the Scottish parliament
North East Fife
Wendy Chamberlain MP
Member of Parliament
North East Fife
The Tay Cities Deal
Among the many agreed projects, the following initiatives are to be funded under the deal:
- More than than £60 million will go to the James Hutton Institute in Invergowrie
- £37 million of investment will be ploughed into local tourism and culture
- More than £10 million will go towards a cyber security centre in Dundee
- Several million will be invested in St Andrews University’s Eden Campus
- £15 million will go towards a Perth bus and rail interchange project
Both governments will invest £150 million each over the next 10 to 15 years, with an extra £50 million pledged by Holyrood.
Response
Both leaders have been sent copies of the Lib Dem letter and it is understood responses will be sent to Mr Rennie and Ms Chamberlain in “due course”.
