Throughout the congestion charge campaign, we were all repeatedly told "there was no Plan B".

We were told it was either the Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) bid or nothing.

Now the Middleton Guardian can reveal there is a Plan B after all.

Tellingly, just hours after the no vote was announced, the Department for Transport (Dft), who first offered billions of pounds worth of investments to cities willing to consider a toll tax, sent the Middleton Guardian newsdesk an email saying that Greater Manchester would continue to receive 'significant transport investment through existing programmes'.

As much of the proposed public transport improvements thrown together into the wider congestion charge debate did not technically come under the TIF bid, the future for certain schemes still looks bright.

The Dft has confirmed that Rochdale will still get its metrolink as part of the 'little bang' scheme - although it won't be extended to the town centre.

Middleton's proposed new train station at Slattocks may yet happen as that was listed under Local Transport Plan funding, as may the heavy rail link to Heywood.

In reality, the TIF-bid only really promised improved bus services for Middleton. While these won't happen under congestion charging, they may still happen in the future.

In addition, Councillor Matt Colledge, chairman of Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority, said the work preparing the TIF bid had created 'a clear set of transport investment priorities and business cases' that would remain as targets.

He added: "We are committed to ensuring that this legacy is put to good use by working hard with central government to establish alternative ways to deliver these schemes, which remain critical to the future of our economy."

Middleton Township chairman, Councillor Peter Williams, said the protracted and often bitter fight over the TIF proposals needed to be forgotten to secure the money government offered under the TIF-bid for less ambitious schemes of greater value.

He said: "Instead of wasting money on consultants and £300m worth of redundant camera equipment, GMPTE (Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive) should set about devising more modest improvements that can deliver better services.

"Of course re-regulation of the privatised bus services would be a big step, again that may require government action. In these austere times, a little Keynesian investment in Greater Manchester may be just the tonic Gordon Brown should be looking for."

He added he would lobby for these improvements.