A BRIDGE TOOFAR
Airport train and Clyde link plans under review
CITY Deal projects will be scrapped if it is thought they won’t deliver lasting benefits, the council leader has said.
Susan Aitken said politicians must have the “courage” to say some go no further when they are reviewed.
Political Correspondent POLITICIANS must have the courage to scrap some City Deal projects if they are not going to improve lives and create sustainable jobs, according to the leader of Glasgow City Council.
Susan Aitken said the deal was done in a rush and was based too much on building things and not enough on skills development.
The City Deal signed in 2014 provided £500m from the UK Government, matched by the Scottish Government for Glasgow and seven surrounding councils.
Flagship projects include a rail link to Glasgow airport and a bridge between Renfrew and Yoker.
Ms Aitken spoke about the City Deal at two separate fringe events at this year’s SNP Conference in Glasgow this week
She said: “The City Deal is very 20th century, there’s lots of stone, steel and concrete. The deals that have come after have been focused more on digital innovation.
“There needs to be a focus on what jobs will be created and how these jobs will be accessible.”
Speaking at an event hosted by Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the council leader said she was not talking about any specific projects at this time.
Ms Aitken said: “We are three and a half years into this City Deal and two years away from a gateway review in 2019 which we have to pass to get the next tranche of cash released.
“We need to have the courage to say no to some of them if we can’t see how that project will lead to innovations, skills and create living wage jobs.
“We need to think what happens after we build the infrastructure. If we can’t see that we have to have the courage to say that project doesn’t go any further.
“If we are not satisfied we need to make changes.”
At a separate event hosted by the Core Cities Group Ms Aitken said the investments must have a positive impact on the lives of people living in communities and give then a stake in their city.
She said: “Questions are being asked about the Glasgow City Deal. It was done in a rush.
“It is very infrastructure-based. Decisions need to be taken about whether the time is right to re-evaluate the City Deal projects. The economy is different from 2014.”
Ms Aitken said:“The City Deal in Glasgow has to be skills driven. ”