Councillors have decided to continue with the construction of Edinburgh's controversial tram project, but chosen to build a shorter line connecting the airport to the city centre.


 

The City of Edinburgh Council spent five hours considering the different options for the project, and chose to carry on with construction but only to as far as St Andrew Square.

Councillors had to decide whether to continue with the project - which has been plagued by setbacks since it began in 2008 - or to scrap it altogether.

Doing away with the project completely would have cost €831 million, but councillors have decided on spending €853m - just €22 more - to build the line as far as St Andrew Square.

The decision means the council will have to find another €249m of funding for the project after the government has refused to offer anymore than the €554 already issued.

Another option was to continue the project from Edinburgh Airport to Haymarket at a cost of £858m.

The original cost of the project - to create a line from the airport to Newhaven in the north of the city - was set at €604 million.

However, to continue with the full project now, councillors were told that the final cost and completion date were uncertain.

Construction began on the tram project in 2008, and the work was initially due to be completed in February this year.

However, three years of legal disputes between the council's tram development company TIE and the contractors Bilfinger Berger has pushed the project over budget and behind schedule.

Chancellor Jenny Dawe, leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, said: "I believe that a first phase to St Andrew Square is absolutely the right decision for moving forward with the project.

"I look forward to the further report from the CEO later in the summer, which I believe will strengthen the case for building to St Andrew Square and beyond - whilst giving more clarity on funding.

"Hopefully we can progress this vision to ensure Edinburgh continues to be competitive in the global market and provides the modern, integrated public transport system we need."