NEWS of the planned investment failed to impress opponents of congestion charging last night.

Gordon McKinnon, director of operations at the Trafford Centre, said: "Our position has not changed. While of course we would welcome a Metrolink extension out to Trafford Park and the Trafford Centre, that would by no means be enough. The congestion charge is not a price worth paying."

Graham Stringer, Labour MP for Blackley, added: "I don't have any problem with the aspirations for public transport and these are some very good aspirations. The real question is why people in Manchester, whatever deal is done, should have to pay extra taxes when people in other parts of the UK get this and more without having to do so."

But GMPTA chairman Roger Jones said the TIF document showed that transport chiefs were trying to make sure that the proceeds of any congestion charge scheme were shared around the city-region. "We want to make sure that everyone benefits from a dramatic improvement in public transport," he said. "This is about the whole of Greater Manchester. There is no question the kind of improvements we want go way beyond the £1bn we originally quoted."