NEW FORTH BRIDGE: By Bruce Whitehead

CAMPAIGNERS opposed to the planned new Forth road bridge have condemned its inclusion in the National Planning Framework (NPF), which will exempt it from normal planning processes.

The new framework will allow the project to be approved without any public inquiry, with scrutiny limited to the design and location of the bridge. Environmental groups say this could mean objectors taking their case to the European courts, which require much more rigorous tests for environmental assessment of major projects. They say this could mean that the bridge might face legal action at any stage to stop it being built.

It also emerged that, although the new Forth crossing will increase traffic emissions, the planning framework claims that it "contributes to sustainable economic development." The convener of Holyrood's transport and climate change committee, Green MSP Patrick Harvie (pictured right) said: "The replacement' Forth road bridge, which ministers intend to build right next to the intact existing bridge, is a particularly depressing example of vanity politics, and it cannot under any circumstances be described as a sustainable project."

Friends of the Earth Scotland said the new bridge plans should not qualify for National Planning Framework protection as they would not only undermine climate change targets, but would bring little economic benefit. FoES chief executive Duncan McLaren added: "Additional road capacity across the Forth will simply add to traffic congestion, damaging rather than boosting the economy."

A study commissioned by SEStran (the South East of Scotland Transport Partnership) in 2003 found an additional bridge would cause a 55% increase in traffic over 10 years and that by 2031 all additional road capacity would have been used up. This scenario assumed that bridge tolls remained on both the new and existing bridges. Tolls have now been removed on all Scottish road bridges, and a study showed that this will increase bridge traffic by a further 10%.