Local government officials have claimed Scottish transport minister and Shetland MSP Tavish Scott has changed transport delivery arrangements to appease his constituents.
The new minister announced proposals last week to combine the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland councils together, in one regional transport partnership, rather than the originally-proposed Highlands and Islands partnership.
A source at the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities said: ‘An agreement we believed we had has been unilaterally altered in order, it would appear, to accommodate the new minister’s constituency objectives, rather than objectives relating to transport policy for Scotland.’
The partnership will be one of seven created across Scotland under the new Transport Scotland Bill. Scott claimed the new RTP would allow the three to ‘strengthen their capabilities to bring forward transport solutions’.
Although a step nearer Shetland Council’s preferred option of single-authority partnership, it has still failed to meet with its approval.
Shetland Islands council convenor Sandy Clunes said: ‘I doubt whether any of the three islands will be in favour of such regionalisation. If this proposal is rejected, our existing application for unitary authority status must be granted immediately.’
COSLA’s roads and transport spokeswoman Cllr Alison Magee said she was ‘mystified’ by the sudden separation of the Highlands and Islands ‘which has never been suggested as a realistic model’.
A Scottish Executive spokesman said: ‘The minister had discussions with all organisations involved and the decision was taken that the best interests of the islands could be met within an islands partnership.’
It will consult until 12 August.
Dumfries and Galloway Council has already won its case to become a single-authority partnership and Argyll and Bute Council also wants to go it alone.
All partnerships are set for parliamentary approval in November.
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