Votes For Construction In Seven Local Elections
In England, Scotland, and Wales, 200 local authorities will elect new councillors, while Northern Ireland elects a new government.
Local authorities are actually in charge of making local decisions, unlike national media coverage, which focuses on issues like the COVID rule breach or cost-of-living crisis.
Many projects in those areas depend on the composition of councils after election day. To keep an eye on the situation, let us look at seven critical areas.
Falkirk
In Falkirk, the ruling Scottish National Party has recently proposed plans for a highly controversial regeneration of municipal buildings. As part of the £50m project, a new town hall was built along with a theatre, a library, shops, and other facilities. Nevertheless, opposition councillors rejected the proposals last year, resulting in simmering resentment and a major election issue this week.
In their manifestos, the SNP describes the Conservatives and Labour parties’ stance as “opposition for the sake of opposition”, and they say they will bring the scheme back to the table within six months of re-election.
Greenwich
According to the Conservatives’ manifesto for Greenwich, rail services would be hijacked from the Silvertown Tunnel project. The party – which currently holds just nine of the 51 seats on South London Council – suggested that an extension of the Docklands Light Railway to Kidbrooke and Eltham should instead take the place of one of the two 1.4km-long tunnels being built under the Thames to relieve road congestion in the area.
Despite some disagreements over the details of the plans, the Labour-run local authority has recently called for a halt to the Silvertown Tunnel. Instead, it is believed to support a DLR extension with a new river crossing. Following the election, everything should become more apparent.
Shetlands
Stewart Douglas, standing as an independent in Shetland, is not waiting to be influenced by the elections. But, Robbie McGregor, Douglas could stand a chance of winning this week since there is only one major party councillor on the island’s 22-member council. As a former project manager for major projects in the Shetlands, he now owns and operates SDD Group, a broad construction consultancy.
Douglas reported to the local publication Shetland News that he planned to “remove the many current barriers that discourage people from building their own home” and “create a planning service that is more community-focused”.
Newport
A £250m plan for a tidal energy scheme in Newport has been revived by conservatives after it was rejected by the Welsh government in the 1990s. The party – which holds just 13 of 50 seats on the council – said it would “do all we can to ensure that a Newport Barrage is placed firmly back on the table” if elected to power this month. As Welsh secretary, William Hague rejected barrage proposals in 1995.
However, the Tories contend that the cooling of the UK’s relationship with Moscow due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine means the project needs to be revived to create domestic energy security. The ruling Labour party pledged to work toward renewable energy generation in the Severn Estuary, but the barrage didn’t fit with the central government’s energy strategy.
Eastleigh
Labour Party members in Eastleigh have promised to oppose any expansion of Southampton Airport “so long as the climate costs of air travel remain high”. Last year, the borough council, currently dominated by the Liberal Democrats, approved plans for a 164m runway extension and 600-spot car park.
According to a Conservative representative, the party remains committed to the project, which they say will bring investment and jobs. The Green Party, as expected, opposed the project. Local residents are still opposed, and campaigners won the right to challenge the planning consent. Despite this, Southampton Airport claims the project is “critical” to its viability.
Kirklees
This week, a Conservative victory would lead to scrapping a controversial road project in Kirklees. Tories criticized the incumbent Labour council’s plan to upgrade the A629 in Huddersfield as “ill-conceived”. David Hall, a Conservative councillor in West Yorkshire who holds 19 seats to Labour’s 33, promised to ditch the “hare-brained” plan.
Instead, the council says it will improve traffic flow and provide walking and cycling facilities on the busy road linking Huddersfield and Wakefield. The project is part of a more extensive set of improvements to the A629 between Halifax and Huddersfield funded by the West Yorkshire ‘Plus’ Transport Fund.
Northern Ireland
Before the bank holiday weekend, Sinn Fein led the polls as the province built up to elect a new government. There is a continuing discussion on the need to check goods moving between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK post-Brexit, so this election occurs amid heightened political tensions. It has even been feared that the power-sharing agreement supporting the Assembly may come under pressure. However, no matter what happens, construction is bound to be affected.
A recent report by the Chartered Institute of Building called for long-term plans and commitments in the province for construction programmes. Still, it is unclear who will be responsible for implementing them.
