Comment: Maybe tram plan will rise again

Jan 17 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

IT IS a question most people hold an opinion on – does Merseyside need a tram network? It is more than two years since Transport Secretary Alistair Darling pulled the plug on Merseytram, yet still it will not go gently into that good night.

Today, the Audit Commission issued its public interest report into the collapsed scheme – and it does not make comfortable reading for those involved.

The report delivers some ringing criticism of Merseytravel citing, among other issues, weaknesses in risk management and insufficient engagement with Merseyside’s councils.

Merseytravel’s Neil Scales believes blame must also lie with some individuals at Liverpool city council, arguing they were less-than-supportive in their roles.

But no one reading the report should be in any doubt that District Auditor Judith Tench is unimpressed by Merseytravel’s performance in this saga.

Among the failings it is accused of are: Paying insufficient attention to managing risk; lacking adequate financial reporting and monitoring arrangements; and being too quick to commit resources.

And the scale of the resources committed was significant – £70m was invested on development, design, land acquisition, preliminary construction work and legal fees, before the minister scrapped it.

The financial burden of that remains today, in the form of £5m interest and debt repayments.

But there are some positives. No scheme can be investigated without investment, and among the work undertaken as part of the preliminaries was the much-needed updating of Liverpool’s under-street Victorian utilities. And, of course, Everton FC’s controversial plan to move to Kirkby would make Line One a viable – potentially vital – transport link once more.

The report warns lessons must be learned; we can only hope they have been. For, as far as Merseytravel is concerned, the tram scheme may be down . . . but it is certainly not out.