Congestion Charge still on after councils vote

Date published: 26/07/2007

Greater Manchester is set to put in a bid to the Transport Innovation Fund, which could see a congestion charge enforced in the area but could also making funding available to improve public transport. Rochdale will be one of the council's to vote yes to putting in a bid to receive up to £1.4 billion from the Government scheme at an Association of Greater Manchester Authorities meeting tomorrow, Friday 27 July.

In a dramatic reversal of expectations Trafford and Stockport Council's have voted no on the proposed bid but the other eight councils involved in the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) are all in favour of putting in a bid and the AGMA board will go with the majority verdict in the meeting tomorrow.

The Government wants to install a congestion charge in Greater Manchester that will partly fund public transport improvements that could see the Metrolink extended to Rochdale town centre.

The details of what public transport benefits Rochdale will receive are unclear at this stage but the leader of Rochdale Council, Alan Taylor, said at last night's full Council meeting: "We can insist upon the details for Rochdale once we know how much money we will receive. We need to put in this bid because as we see it there is no alternative. Either we put in a bid and then insist on certain factors for Rochdale or we don't put in a bid and get nothing at all. This is an initial bid to see how much money we can get, from there we can reject the details if they are not right for us."

Andrew Simpson, Managing Director of Peel Holdings, the development company behind the Trafford Centre, and a vocal opponent of the proposed plans, said of the news that Trafford and Stockport are to vote no on the bid: "The original AGMA commitment was that no bid would be made unless all ten councils were satisfied that AGMA’s own test for public and business support had been passed.

"Stockport and Trafford have listened to their residents and businesses and had the integrity to stand by the wishes of voters in those boroughs. Even AGMA’s own survey showed 62% of businesses in Salford and 60% in Bury rejecting the proposals.

"AGMA’s study is mirrored by others such as the one conducted by Manchester Chamber of Commerce which showed 57% of businesses opposing the proposals as they stand.

"The tide is turning and the focus is now on whether the clearly stated wishes of residents and businesses across Greater Manchester will be taken on board or ignored by AGMA."