Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route: capital costs and expenditure: EIR release

FOI reference: FOI/17/01737
Date received: 26 July 2017
Date responded: 30 August 2017

Information requested

On 12 December 2014, Transport Scotland issued a press notice (attached) which confirmed that the overall estimated costs of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) were £745m.

In that press release, Transport Scotland said in its notes to editors (4) that the £745m sum included "public sector costs such as preparation costs, surveys, land and advance works".

Please provide a full breakdown of all those costs, specifying:

a. the sums involved for each of the areas identified in that note to editors, i.e. land acquisition, surveys, preparation costs and so on, including specifying what that expenditure was for. For instance, how much land and where, and what preparation and advance works.

b. which public sector body was responsible for meeting those costs

c. the dates for each area of expenditure

d. please also confirm whether or not that £745m includes the £472m capital cost of construction mentioned in the press notice. If that the case, this request is seeking information about the exact purpose and funding of the remaining £273m in spending.

Response

In advance of Financial Close in December 2014, the £745m estimated cost of the AWPR/B-T project, at 2012 prices, comprised £472m capital cost of construction and £273m 'other costs'. These costs include, land purchase; compensation to landowners; utilities; site investigation and environmental surveys; advanced works; costs of technical/legal/financial support and preparation costs.

The preparation cost estimate includes undertaking surveys; assessments and ground investigations; preparation of Environmental Statement; development of scheme design; statutory procedures; Public Local Inquiry; public consultations and exhibitions; preparation of tender and contract documents and site monitoring.

Please see the table below for the estimated breakdown of £273m 'other costs'.

	Total (£m)
Professional Services	65.4
Surveys	10.7
Land compensation	145.3
Advance Works	9.6
Utility Works	37.7
Other Costs	4.9
TOTAL (other costs)	273.6

The Scottish Government is responsible for meeting those costs together with its funding partners, Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council.

The Scottish Government are funding 100% of the Fastlink and Balmedie – Tipperty sections together with 81% of the remainder of the scheme (the Northern Leg and Southern Leg sections of the project). Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils are funding 9.5% each of the Northern Leg and Southern Leg sections of the project.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance Transport Scotland does not have some of the information you have requested. Therefore we are refusing part of your request under the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs.

Under the terms of the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs (information not held), the Scottish Government is not required to provide information which it does not have. We do not hold dates for each area of estimated expenditure of other costs.

This exception is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception. While we recognise that there may be some public interest in information about dates of estimated expenditure on the AWPR/B-T project, clearly we cannot provide information which we do not hold.

For your information, I have attached a link to the Trunk Road Orders on the Transport Scotland website. This contains details of the Compulsory Purchase Orders required for the project in response to your request on where the land is located.

https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/balmedie-to-tipperty-trunk-road-orders/

https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/aberdeen-western-peripheral-route-road-orders/

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