BOAT FIASCO MSP IN HOT WATER OVER STREET LEAK
Angry locals say flow could cause accidents
Ferries fiasco minister Paul Wheelhouse has been hit with an enforcement notice over street flooding at his home.
The MSP was served the order by Scottish Borders Council in November, ordering him to stop a flow of water from his property in Ayton, Berwickshire, in 14 days.
But angry locals claim the problem has not been fixed and fear it could lead to accidents in freezing temperatures.
Scot tish Tory transpor t spokesman Graham Simpson MSP said: “It seems the SNP minister for ferry fiascos has a problem with water.
“When he’s not presiding over the costly shambles of being unable to get ferries afloat, it seems he’s responsible for flooding his own street.
“This may sound relatively minor but it’s clearly an issue for locals and for bus passengers who risk getting soaked.
“If a Scottish Government minister has failed to adhere to an official order issued by his local authority, that’s a serious matter he must be responsible for. Any wronging should then be brought to the attention of the relevant authorities.
“We cannot have a society where there’s one rule for the SNP and another for everyone else.
“Mr Wheelhouse should put this right without any further delay and issue an apology for the inconvenience he is causing.”
As minister for energ y connectivity and the islands, Wheelhouse has been at the centre of the Government’s CalMac ferry-building debacle.
An official report earlier this
month said there had been a “catastrophic failure” in procurement. The inquiry was launched in 2019 after it emerged two ships being built at Ferguson Marine
Engineering in Port Glasgow would be delivered late and at more than double the cost.
The firm, which had previously been rescued by businessman
Jim McCol l, col lapsed into administration in 2019.
Whe el hous e sa id t he Government did not agree with all of the report’s conclusions, while accepting “contractor failure has been a very significant factor in the difficulties”.
But he conceded the delays had been “particularly impactful” on island communities.
Concerns about his property are understood to have been raised in November. Residents of the village have become increasingly worried about water running down over a pavement next to a bus stop.
A 14- day notice to f ix the problem is understood to have been served on Wheelhouse at the end of November.
Community councillors are now worried that accidents could result when the water freezes on the public footway. Bus drivers are having to drop off passengers away from the flood as a result.
A spokesman for Wheelhouse said the MSP thought he had fixed the problem in his garden a year ago, but that it reoccurred.
He added: “On Wednesday, Mr Wheelhouse requested a site visit by Scottish Borders Council to discuss what can be done to utilise a connection into exterior drainage. He is keen to have the work carried out as soon as possible to provide a permanent solution.”