Leaders of the region's 10 councils voted to accept a draft question and ballot pack designed by independent expert Sir Neil McIntosh.
The question contained a preamble mentioning both the peak-hour only, weekday charge and the £2.7bn of transport investment it would unlock.
It then asks people whether they support the proposals or not.
Amendments put forward by the leaders of Stockport and Trafford councils - who oppose the package - would have seen the words `congestion charge' included in the question itself.
But both were voted down by the other council leaders.
A final vote on whether to accept the question as it stood was won seven to three - with Bury joining Stockport and Trafford in the vote against it.
That is above the threshold required under the voting rules of the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities.
Ballot papers for the all-postal referendum will now be sent out at the end of November, with the deadline for replies set at December 11.
There will have to be a majority of voters in favour with at least seven council areas for the deal to go ahead.
The bid would see more than £2.75bn ploughed into transport schemes, including £318m to set up a peak hour, weekday-only congestion charge. Some £1.2bn of the total would be in the form of a loan, paid back over 30 years out ofprofits from the charge.
Lis Phelan, chairman of the `yes' campaign, welcomed the decision: "There will obviously be those who will continue to obsess about every comma and full stop on the ballot.
"But at last we can get down to debating the real choice facing people in this referendum: lower bus fares, extra seats on trains and a tram system three times the size of the current network - or higher fares, more pollution and more delays."
You need Flash player 8+ and JavaScript enabled to view this video.
460
275
0
false
Tweet
Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
Mr Angry, Bury (31/10/2008 at 13:14)
The EU tried something similar a while ago when the Irish voted against some oppressive new EU diktat
Kurt Stephens (31/10/2008 at 13:33)
There is a forum that has discussed this matter probably more than anywhere else on the interenet, something in the region of 3 or 4 thousand replies to various threads in the forum (See Dave Otewell blog - Estonia, TIF and Bias).
After months of discussions, those that have really got invovled in the discussion have changed their minds in droves.
From quite a balanced view on the matter back in the early summer, there is now over 98% in favour of the scheme - these are not a section of society that are pro-public transport, councillors, or in anyway biased towards TIF, they have simply discussed the matter over and over again.
I honestly think as people get their referendum voting slip, along with the information, that people will vote in their droves for the proposals.
Good times ahead, vote YES, you know it makes sense.
Roadrunner, Irlam (31/10/2008 at 13:40)
But both were voted down by the other council leaders.'
Because they know that would mean a sure fire 'NO' vote...how typical of them to try a sway it in their own favour.
john berta (31/10/2008 at 13:43)
Bring the refrendum on.
Let the people of Greater Manchester decide one way or another.
PS.
I note John Whittaker the owner of Peel won't be able to vote in the referendum.
He lives in the on the Isle of Man. How ironic. Or is it?
Perhaps he would like to invest in a tramline trough Trafford Park and on to the Trafford Centre if TIF is defeated.
He's had numerous chances before TIF ever came to light and he refused.
alanp, chorlton (31/10/2008 at 13:48)
Jay B, oldham (31/10/2008 at 14:06)
with major things still unanswered it means many will vote no.
once the charge is in place they can change and charge whatever they want.
Your council tax is not safe!
they have admitted it might be!
the only way is NO!
Trumpetman21 (31/10/2008 at 14:21)
Read between the lines & question each & every statistic they throw your way.
Do you really want to give these people a blank cheque? With no real guarantees regarding the future cost & coverage of this scheme the only prudent vote can be a NO vote.
IanJ (31/10/2008 at 14:23)
I'm curious - what exactly do all those of you think you're going to get if this goes through?
Do you actually think we'll get trains at least 6 carriages long every 15 minutes?
Do you think train and bus journeys will be quicker and cheaper than car journeys, because those are the things that are needed to provide a 'world class' system.
Apart from those areas lucky to get Metrolink, no-one will benefit from this and the £2.75bn will be frittered away, leaving the whole of Manchester with a massive millstone around its neck.
Sir Reginald Ringpull, A-u-L, Lancashire (31/10/2008 at 14:26)
"The public will ultimately decide"
May I just point out that on the 28 September 2008 Ruth Kelly said:
"Ministers would still need to assess its value for money before giving approval.
She told the BBC the December public vote was "not the final say".
Buzza2008, Oldham (31/10/2008 at 14:31)
I note John Whittaker the owner of Peel won't be able to vote in the referendum.
He lives in the on the Isle of Man. How ironic. Or is it?
Perhaps he would like to invest in a tramline trough Trafford Park and on to the Trafford Centre if TIF is defeated.
He's had numerous chances before TIF ever came to light and he refused.
Carry on John you think you are being clever but all you do is show up the weakness of the pro-charge campaign.
There will be many people asked to pay who will not get a vote on it.
As misguided as you are, you are a brilliant asset for the No campaign.
Pentest 2, Hyde (31/10/2008 at 14:32)
matt t, tameside (31/10/2008 at 14:35)
My understanding was that Peel recognised the commercial benefits, and were happy to part-fund the cost of a line out to the Trafford Centre right up until Alistair Darling pulled the plug in 2004.
Trumpetman21 (31/10/2008 at 14:39)
The choice to those looking further ahead boils down to:
Want national RP? Then vote yes.
Don't want national RP? Then vote no.
john berta (31/10/2008 at 14:42)
I think you'll find Peel were given the opportunity to invest in a tramline to the Trafford Centre on numerous occasions. Infact, a tram stop was planned close to where the TC extension is.
A chance they continually declined. So much for taking cars off the road and making the TC more excesible to commuters.
I note the tramline extension to Mediacity was paid for and rushed through without any problems.
Smells fishy doesn't it.
john berta (31/10/2008 at 14:49)
Whittaker owns the company that wants to destroy TIF and the investment and benefits it will bring to Greater Manchester. I don't think rally applies to anyone else living outside the TIF investment zone does it. Unless you know any difference off course
Another anti who doesn't understand the implications of a peel led 'NO' vote.
keep on hanging on to my coatails Buzz.
Trueman (31/10/2008 at 14:53)
I am so sick of this story. Was it this much work when Edinburgh got their £600 million improvements - Con tax free by the way.
Talk about over Hype.
Its a NO from me. I pay enough Tax as it is. Manchester should get the improvements without the Con job. Like Edinburgh has.
Sir Reginald Ringpull, A-u-L, Lancashire (31/10/2008 at 14:58)
Won't it be great they will be able to pay 42pence a mile extra to scoot along the hard shoulder of the M60 then pay £3 (at 2007 prices) to speed into the city centre. Then spend 20 minutes lookin' for a meter!
Include me out.
matt t, tameside (31/10/2008 at 15:04)
They were certainly happy in 2002 when Mike Butterworth said "[the planning decision] also means the prospect of gaining a Metrolink line though Trafford Park to the Trafford Centre has been improved because Peel is willing to commit some of the profits from the Giants Field development back into the cost of building the Metrolink extension. The expansion of the Metrolink will be a great asset for Greater Manchester as it will give better access for the whole conurbation to the 50,000 jobs in Trafford Park."
IanJ (31/10/2008 at 15:05)
What people do understand is the very real implication of a yes vote:
£700 out of pocket per year with
no public transport alternative.
I and other work colleagues live and work on the same railway line yet cannot use it to commute.
The bus journey is 2 hours each way.
No metrolink.
Car is 25-40 minutes.
None of the congestion is caused by traffic which would switch as a consequence of the charge, so no reduction in congestion.
Why should I pay £700 a year for no benefit?
Ban T (31/10/2008 at 15:10)
Vote Yes or vote No.
Vote how you want and just leave other people to decide for themselves.
If we’re not careful, everybody will forget to go out and vote in December because you’ll all be too occupied on this forum putting your badly thrown together arguments across.
I’ll vote how I want to and am not bothered about trying to covert people into my way of thinking.
dessie, manchester (31/10/2008 at 15:16)
the only people that will benefit is the companies who run the transport system, if everyone used public transport if it came in, who would pay for the loan?? us with rising fares and higher council taxes!!
think before you vote because once its in dont come crying to the people who voted NO, because we told you so before the vote!!!!!
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
Blue Chris, On The Blue Moon (31/10/2008 at 15:18)
By the time 30 years comes around things will be very very different anyway !
Rt Hon Dr Rev MC Spanner MP QC FCA FRICS JP OK (31/10/2008 at 15:20)
Smells fishy doesn't it."
Not really - only if you are a desperate Yes voter clutching at any straw to get a bus to work 1 minute earlier than now. At somebody elses expense.
Trumpetman21 (31/10/2008 at 15:21)
Ronky, Bowker Vale (31/10/2008 at 15:21)
If that really was the percentage in favour of additional tax then I'm sure the pro-tollers would have been comfortable including 'congestion charge' in the question!
Or is it just an attempt to convince no voters that it isn't worth them voting?