Troubled waters for bridge naming

The bridge is expected to open in 2008

Two local authorities have clashed after launching rival campaigns to name the new Forth bridge after their areas.

Clackmannanshire Council has been vying to have the bridge at Kincardine named after its county, after launching a publicity campaign in October.

But Fife Council has now decided to lobby Scottish ministers to officially name it "Kingdom Bridge".

Agency Transport Scotland said it would outline the process for selecting a name at a later date.

The £120m bridge, due to open in 2008, aims to improve transport links in Forth Valley and Central Scotland.

No-one cares what it's called, just as long as it does what it's meant to Stephan Donnelly Edinburgh resident Have your say on the new Kincardine bridge

Both local authorities have claimed the bridge, currently known as the Upper Forth Crossing, is a vital economic tool for each of the areas it serves.

Clackmannanshire Council, which is understood to be disappointed at Fife's decision, had asked the neighbouring authority to support its campaign to name the crossing "Clackmannanshire Bridge".

A letter to Fife Council, signed by senior Clackmannanshire councillors, stated: "While undoubtedly the new bridge will make a huge difference to Kincardine, our hopes and ambitions for the new bridge are far higher.

"Quite simply the new bridge will be a Godsend to Clackmannanshire. Our infrastructure difficulties are well known to councillors in Fife but the new bridge could be the making of our small county."

However Fife Council said local people had fought long and hard to get the bridge.

Mixed reaction

Council leader Anne McGovern said: "Kincardine is in Fife. The bridge is in Fife and it is going to make a huge difference to the local environment and economy of Fife."

On BBC Scotland's news website, members of the public gave a mixed reaction to the campaigns, suggesting their own names, such as the "Clackingshire Bridge" and the "Fifth Bridge".

One of the more popular suggestions was to simply name it "The New Kincardine Bridge".

David Gardiner, from Stirling, said: "Why should the boundary authority have any rights over its name, especially as boundaries change every so often."

Stephan Donnelly, from Edinburgh, suggested that the exercise was a waste of time, adding: "No-one cares what it's called, just as long as it does what it's meant to."

A Transport Scotland spokesman said: "We realise the name of the new bridge is an important local issue and it is our intention to outline, later in 2007, the process we'll go through to select a name for the bridge."