A BUSINESS lobby group is calling for the proposed Mersey Gateway to be funded by transport grants, instead of tolls.
The Cheshire-based Forum of Private Business (FPB) believes small businesses in the North- West would be unfairly hit by a plan to introduce tolls to pay for a second Runcorn Bridge.
The FPB told a public inquiry into the £431m project that, if tolls are introduced on both the existing Silver Jubilee Bridge and the new crossing – as is proposed – businesses will be left with no cost-free route to cross the River Mersey.
It is calling on Halton Council to follow the example set in Greater Manchester recently, where a proposed “congestion charging” scheme to pay for public transport improvements was dropped after it was rejected in a referendum. The work will now be funded by pooling transport grants from individual councils in the region.
FPB’s chief executive, Phil Orford, said: “Clearing congestion by building a new bridge linking Runcorn with Widnes would be of direct benefit to businesses in the Mersey Gateway area, but it would be wrong to fund it by forcing them to pay tolls on either crossing. The new bridge should be paid for by local councils donating their government transport grants, if necessary, topped-up by Council Tax funds.”
It has been estimated that imposing tolls would, on an average working day in 2030, result in 40,000 fewer trips crossing the river between the Mersey Tunnels and M62.
However, the FPB has expressed its concern that Halton Council’s agenda in building a new bridge should not be to limit logistics and better business communication, but facilitate it.
Mr Orford added: “The improvements a new bridge would bring to the local community and economy are obvious. The FPB’s proposal would be much fairer than introducing tolls, because the cost would be spread across all areas set to benefit from the scheme, and not just the bridges’ users.
“Manchester had been told that there was no alternative to congestion charging, and yet a solution has now been found. We would like the inquiry to consider whether transport grants could be used for the Mersey Gateway Scheme project as well.”
The inquiry had earlier heard from Halton MP, Derek Twigg, who said he believed local support for the bridge was strong.
Mr Twigg said: “Four years ago, at the time of the debate over the cancelling of the Merseytram scheme, Liverpool business people told me that, while they supported the tram, they believed the Mersey Gateway was even more important to the economic regeneration of Merseyside.
He added that good transport links were essential to the success of the science park at Daresbury, the rail freight development at Ditton, and the Widnes waterfront.
