An Aberdeen MSP has asked the city council to ensure the re-housing of residents affected by planned road improvements at the Haudagain roundabout takes place as soon as possible.
Mark McDonald has written to the local authority’s chief executive Angela Scott following an announcement last week that work on the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) is due to finish earlier than expected.
The long-awaited bypass is now due to open to traffic in winter 2017 rather than spring 2018.
Keith Brown, Cabinet Secretary for Investment, Infrastructure and Cities, said on a visit to the north-east on Friday that the timescale for a new link road to ease congestion at the Haudagain would also be reviewed as a result of the change to the AWPR timescale.
A number of residents in the Middlefield area will have to re-housed prior to work on the link connecting North Anderson Drive and Auchmill Road starting.
In his letter to Mrs Scott, Mr McDonald, SNP MSP for Aberdeen Donside, said: “As you will be aware, the Scottish Government has announced that the timetable for delivering the AWPR has been brought forward to a completion date of late 2017.
“This could, in turn, have a knock-on effect in terms of the start date for the Haudagain improvement works, and the Scottish Government have indicated the timescales will be under review.
“I would be grateful if you could advise whether Aberdeen City Council is in a position to deliver the necessary preparations for any early commencement of the Haudagain works, in particular the rehousing of people from affected properties.”
Labour councillor Willie Young, convener of finance, policy and resources at the local authority, said: “Once again Mark McDonald is using the Haudagain as a political tool.
“There is absolutely nothing that the chief executive or the rest of the city council can do until we receive the settlement package from the Scottish Government.
“It’s not the council’s road, it’s the government’s, so Mark McDonald should be sending a letter to John Swinney instead.”