Aberdeen council chiefs said they had been met with a “wall of silence” by the Scottish Government after urging the First Minister to make a £254million infrastructure pledge legally binding.
City council leader Jenny Laing wrote to Nicola Sturgeon on the day the £250million City Region Deal and the multi-million-pound investment was announced on January 28.
But, more than three weeks later, she claims to have received no response or even an acknowledgement of the letter from Ms Sturgeon.
The funds will include £200million to help improve journey times and increase capacity on rail links between Aberdeen and the central belt.
In Ms Laing’s letter, she called for a “heads of terms” agreement like that of the city deal to ensure its delivery.
She wrote: “I feel that without a formal heads of terms legal agreement, the city is potentially exposed.
“That is why I am asking you today to end the current uncertainty which exists and make the £254million commitment legally binding.
“This would both reinforce the Scottish Government’s commitment to the area and ensure that projects which have been announced publicly will be completed within an agreed timeframe.”
Last night, finance convener Willie Young said that the Scottish Government were “all words and no action.”
He added: “The people of Aberdeen deserve better from the First Minister because we have had the fanfare from the SNP Government without the substance of a binding agreement to go with the fanfare.”
However, a government spokesperson insisted last night that Ms Sturgeon would respond.
She said: “We have received the letter from Aberdeen City Council and will respond shortly.
“The recently announced Scottish Government funding will cement Aberdeen as one of the world’s leading cities for business and industry and sends an unequivocal message that the north-east remains central to driving future growth and prosperity in Scotland.”