UK ministers will be challenged at Westminster next week over the progress of Aberdeen’s “game-changing” £3billion City Deal.
Local MP Kirsty Blackman has secured a debate in the Commons on Tuesday to pile the pressure on the Conservative government over the delivery of the package.
Chancellor George Osborne announced at the Budget in March that ministers would formally enter negotiations with the civic leaders in Aberdeen and Inverness over lucrative City Deals.
The special status is seen as key to delivering ambitious plans in both areas, including many of the 49 projects approved this week as part of Aberdeen’s long-awaited city centre masterplan.
Council chiefs in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire hope to submit a formal bid to the UK and Scottish governments in the coming months, and believe it could be signed off before the end of the year.
However, concerns have been raised about the Conservative majority government’s commitment to the plans, with senior Liberal Democrat MPs from Scotland having been seen as key to pushing them forward behind-the-scenes in the previous coalition administration at Westminster.
Mrs Blackman, the recently-elected SNP MP for Aberdeen North, said she would be seeking answers from ministers at Tuesday’s debate.
“I’m delighted to have secured this debate on the Aberdeen City Region Deal,” she said.
“It is so important that our elected representatives at all levels keep the pressure on to ensure this ambitious deal is delivered.
“There is cross-party support, we just need to make sure the project doesn’t run out of steam.
“I will be looking for some answers from the minister, particularly around the future timeline for the project, and I will continue to work with Aberdeen city and shire councils and the business community to do what I can to move the City Deal forward.”
The UK Government has insisted that the negotiations over the City Deal have been “progressing as planned”.
Jenny Laing, the Labour leader of the city council, said this week that plans to breathe new life into the city centre feature “very heavily” in the proposals, that deal would have “lasting significance” for the region and she was confident it would be secured.
The ambitious bid – described as “game-changing” by senior councillors – aims for nearly £3billion worth of infrastructure improvements over the next 20 years, coupled with an economic strategy focusing on securing Aberdeen’s status as a world energy city.
A total of 26 City Deals have been confirmed across the UK since 2010, but Glasgow is the only area in Scotland to achieve the status.