Transform Scotland and the Rail Freight Group have today welcomed the news that the grant requirement of recent Notes of Interest in applying for rail and sea Freight Facilities Grants exceeds the current 2011-12 budget by some £18m.
The answer to a Parliamentary Question from Patrick Harvie MSP to Scottish Government transport minister Keith Brown MSP has identified that 19 notes of interest for Freight Facilities Grants recently submitted to the Scottish Government total over £20 million in potential grant value. The current FFG budget for the year 2011-12 is £2m, as agreed in the recent Scottish Budget.
Cathy Peattie MSP revealed that just 8 of the 19 potential projects advised to the Government could be completed in the year 2011-12, and these would require FFG assistance of £5.75m – £3.75m more than the current budget allocation.
Colin Howden, Director of Transform Scotland, said:
“This shows that we were right to fight for the retention of the Freight Facilities Grants in the Scottish Budget. As we said when the government initially decided to cancel the fund, there is clearly huge demand out there for schemes to get freight off the roads and back on to rail or sea.”
David Spaven, Scottish Representative of the Rail Freight Group, said:
“This level of demand for FFG assistance demonstrates that a more substantial budget is needed than the £2m allocated for 2011-12. Companies who cannot realistically complete rail works within a single financial year also need early assurance that the scheme will continue in 2012-13 with a sensible budget to allow Scotland to get the economic and environmental benefits of shifting freight on to trains and ships.”
Interest in FFGs has proven to be particularly strong in the Highlands & Islands, with 10 of the 19 potential projects coming from that area.
