Engineering assessment for proposed fixed link between Orkney and Scottish Mainland: EIR release

Information requested

Please can you supply the engineering assessment for the proposed fixed link between Orkney and the Scottish Mainland, referred to by Jenny Gilruth in her response to Donald Campbell's parliamentary question ref S6W-06089.

1. How much did it cost, in pounds sterling, to carry out this engineering assessment?

2. Please list in pounds sterling any and all additional costs relating to the proposed link.

3. Please can you also supply any and all correspondence and documentation relating to this proposed link.

Response

The following exception applies to:
Regulation 10(4)(a) - Of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (the EIRs) allows public authorities to refuse to make environmental information available if they don't hold the information when the request is received.

Regulation 11 - Personal Data - Regulation 11 of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (the EIRs) sets outs when personal data can and cannot be disclosed under the EIRs.

Regulation 12(4)(d) - For the purposes of paragraph (1)(a), a public authority may refuse to disclose information to the extent that — the request relates to material which is still in the course of completion, to unfinished documents or to incomplete data. – This information is [Redacted].

Response to your Request

I enclose the some of the information requested:

1. How much did it cost, in pounds sterling, to carry out this engineering assessment?
Response - Exception - Regulation 10(4)(a) - Information not held.

The assessment of a potential fixed link between the Scottish mainland and the Orkney Islands has been considered as part of the second Strategic Transport Project Review (STPR2). This option is one of eight potential fixed links that have been appraised as part of approximately 1400 transport interventions considered as part of the review. The assessment of fixed links have been included within the wider appraisal costs hence it is not possible to isolate the respective costs associated with this specific option or any other individual option that has been appraised.

2. Please list in pounds sterling any and all additional costs relating to the proposed link.
Response - Exception - Regulation 10(4)(a) - Information not held.

As noted above in response to Question 1, Transport Scotland does not hold details of the cost of appraising any individual option.

3. Please can you also supply any and all correspondence and documentation relating to this proposed link.
Response – The information is shown below and have been broken down by category:

Information not provided – STPR2 - Northern Isles Connectivity – Preliminary Appraisal Summary Tables – August 2021 – Exception 12(4)(d) - Material which is still in the course of completion

Technical Reports
Annex A – STPR2 Technical Note on Fixed Links Option Development and Assessment – January 2022.

Correspondence
Annex B – Email - STPR2 fixed link options feature in the long-list, subject to sifting – 29 April 2020.
Annex C – Correspondence from member of the public – Orkney Fixed Link proposals – 20 March 2021.
Annex D – Response to member of the public – Orkney Fixed Link proposals – 30 April 2021.
Annex E– Correspondence from member of the public – Orkney tunnel proposals – 24 May 2021.
Annex F – Response to member of the public – Orkney tunnel proposals – 18 June 2021.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI 202200315895 - Information Released - Annex A to F

File type

15 page PDF

File size

1.1 MB