THE PEOPLE have spoken – and Greater Manchester will NOT be getting a congestion charge.
Voters have rejected the scheme, and the billions of pounds of transport investment it would have unlocked, in a region-wide referendum.
The decision sparked jubilation among 'no' campaigners, who had claimed the peak-hour, weekday only charge would have cost commuters up to £1,200 a year.
Official turnout figures showed 53.2 per cent of voters returned their ballot forms.
The lowest turnout was in Wigan where 45.3 per cent of voters returned their ballot papers. The highest participation in the referendum was in Trafford, where the figure was 63.6 per cent.
Greater Manchester's 10 councils have been bidding for more than £2.75bn from the government's Transport Innovation Fund, including £318m to set up a charging scheme. Some £1.2bn would have been in the form of a loan, paid back over 30 years out of profits from the charge.
People in seven out of the 10 borough of Greater Manchester would have had to have said said 'yes' for the package to go ahead.
The money – which would have paid for massive investment in trams, trains and buses – will now be taken off the table. Some £1.5bn of grant will be returned to a central government 'pot' for cities that are prepared to bring in congestion-charge schemes. The loan will be cancelled.
Geoff Hoon, the transport secretary, has warned the region there is no 'plan B' for improving its public transport.
The results of the all-postal vote were revealed in a highly-charged declaration at Manchester Central this afternoon.
The decision is expected to be rubber-stamped at a meeting of council leaders next Friday.
- Manchester yes 43,593 no 113,064 rejected 250
- Rochdale yes 17,333 no 61,686 rej 118
- Bolton yes 20,529 no 76,910 rejected 167
- Bury yes 16,563 no 64,001 rej 94
- Salford yes 14,603 no 79,326 rej 105
- Stockport yes 24,090 no 103,706 rej 169
- Tameside yes 16,323 no 83,105 rej 124
- Trafford yes 20,445 no 83,568 rej 142
- Wigan yes 27,810 no 78,565 rej 132
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Annie Wallace (12/12/2008 at 14:49)
I think we now need to put some searching questions to the council about the MILLIONS spent on a pointless referendum, where the result was clearly never in any doubt? What an obscene waste of money and resources.
Might have been better investing it in public transport??
Chris Green, Chorlton-cum-Hardy (12/12/2008 at 16:18)
It is good to see that Chorlton will still be benefiting from a tram extension but we need our city councillors to fight for it to be extended through Withington, Didsbury and on to Stockport. There should have been a Plan B for investment in Manchester just as there are many billions for London transport. The lack of alternative must relate to the short sightedness of those in government who have so clearly misjudged the needs of Manchester.
We hear on the news that the government wishes to start an infrastructure spending programme to help us out of the recession. This shouldn’t just be centred on the South so the first element of this should be to fund the tram extensions that were proposed under TIF and then to start work on getting a high speed link between the Channel Tunnel, London and Manchester. This will not only create jobs in the region but will also enable us to recover more quickly after recession.
In the difficult times ahead, the test of the council leaders will be for them to fight for the city to win “no strings attached” investment. We can then judge them on their results.
PuppyLove, Manchester (12/12/2008 at 17:44)
Groucho F (13/12/2008 at 12:43)
I voted No because I fork out enough in tax, duty, rates etc etc already....I believe I am entitled to a decent transport system without anyone having to pay more.
Apart from the issues of competence (ie could our City actually deliver on its promises within budget?), why should our Government pledge so much of OUR cash to benefit LONDON and the Soth East via the Olympics. It's high time we saw some benefit up here in the North.
And if the No vote means our politicians have to go back to the drawing board, well welcome to my world...sometimes issues are worth working on....or will they just give up. Let's wait and see.
James Chapman-Kelly (13/12/2008 at 12:45)