Slight revisions to tomorrow's Tram Amendment

As expected, there have been some slight revisions to tomorrow's Labour Group Tram Amendment ... the substantive position hasn't changed .... but here's the final text:

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City of Edinburgh Council
Labour Amendment

Full Council Meeting
25 August 2011

Item 8.2 Edinburgh Tram Project

1. Council again notes that this is a project which Audit Scotland gave a clean bill of health in June 2007. Since then it appears to have totally unravelled.

2. Council notes that the earlier decision of 30 June 2011 to pursue the St. Andrew Square/York Place option was subject to funding.

3. Council further notes the report’s recommendations but does not agree them, with the exception of 8.1(d) on the project governance arrangements.

4. Council accordingly rejects the proposed funding package for the St. Andrew Square/York Place option and agrees that option has not been sufficiently de-risked.

5. Council notes that, as a result, the earlier decision of 30 June 2011 to pursue the St. Andrew Square/York Place option effectively falls away.

6. Council therefore now agrees that the proposal with least risk is to build from the Airport to Haymarket as phase one of a longer-term, strategic plan.

7. Council therefore:
• instructs that a new settlement agreement reflecting paragraph 6 above should be negotiated and finalised by the Chief Executive after consultation with the political group leaders;
• authorises the Chief Executive to enter into a new settlement agreement substantially on the terms set out in the earlier ‘settlement summary’, with such amendments as may be necessary to reflect paragraph 6 above, following consultation with political group leaders, all prior to 1 September 2011 or any later date mutually agreed by the main parties; and
• instructs that the Council, as shareholder, gives Lothian Buses a primary role in preparing for operations as soon as possible to ensure maximum operational income and public transport service integration.

8. Council finally notes that there are ongoing and significant concerns within Edinburgh’s business community about the specific issues of: rates relief; general business support; and potential compensation.

9. Council thus finally instructs the Chief Executive to bring a separate report on the issues referred to in paragraph 8 above to the next meeting of the Policy and Strategy Committee on 6 September 2011.

Proposed __________________________________

Seconded __________________________________