WARRINGTON South MP Faisal Rashid is continuing to campaign for Warrington residents to be given free crossing of the new Mersey Toll bridge despite another knockback by the Government.
In response to a letter from the government refusing to consider free tolls on the new bridge, which is set to open this autumn and the existing Jubilee bridge, Faisal said: “I am not asking for anything from the Secretary of State other than for the promise to Warrington to be kept if the residents are not to believe that it was disingenuous.
“If the government can find a huge sum for Northern Ireland to fund its agreement with the DUP, then it can also find funds to allow the residents of my constituency to cross their local river.
“The huge discrepancy between transport investment in my region and the South reveals the government’s true intentions with regards to the vision of the Northern Powerhouse and whether it is prepared to support communities in this region.”
He has now invited the transport department to conduct a detailed study of the economic impact of extending the toll free zone and to honour the assurances that they were given in 2015.
Faisal had written to Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling, shortly after being elected, urging him to honour the representations made former chancellor George Osborne that Warrington residents and businesses would have toll free travel over the two Halton bridges.
Faisal said that this was seen in Warrington as a serious breach of trust on the part of the Government especially after announcing that the tolls on the Severn Bridge are to be abolished next year to enhance the future prosperity of Wales and drive economic growth. He said this made the Government’s u-turn on toll free travel for Warrington residents and businesses over the Halton bridges even more difficult to understand or accept.
“The tolls will hamper the future prosperity of the north west and be a significant drag on our economy,” he added.
But Under Secretary of State Jesse Norman MP wrote back saying: “Whilst I sympathise with you and your constituents’ concerns over the requirement in future to pay to cross the Mersey, it has been for many years and remains Government policy that those who benefit from the significant improvements that large estuarial crossings bring should help to pay forthem. This scheme, promoted by Halton Borough Council, is to be funded through tolls plus additional payments provided by Government. The scheme is designed to deal with the regular congestion which occurs at the existing Silver Jubilee Bridge, with the benefits this will bring to the local economy and of course to the roads in Warrington.
“The decision to make the crossing free to residents of Halton was because they are in the unusual positon that the existing bridge connects the two parts of the borough on either side of the River Mersey, and is the only practicable way of travelling between them. In these circumstances the Government agreed to make exceptional additional payments to secure free crossings for Halton residents on top of the funding which Halton Borough Council is providing from the toll income.
“The previous Chancellor announced that the Government would look at the feasibility of extending Mersey Gateway bridge toll discounts to residents of Cheshire West & Chester and Warrington. Having considered the legal position and the costs to the taxpayer the Government concluded that free tolling will not be extended beyond Halton Borough Council.
“There would be a significant risk of a successful legal challenge to a decision to extend free tolling to some local Councils and not others. In any event, extending free tolling to only a handful of local Councils would still be at a substantial cost to the taxpayer. An extension of user discounts to not just Cheshire West & Chester and Warrington, but also to the other three authorities that neighbour Halton (Knowsley, Liverpool City Council and St Helens), would be at an estimated cost of £604m which would need to be funded in part by these local authorities. For all these reasons the decision was taken not to extend free tolling beyond Halton.”
Faisal has now written back expressing his disappointment adding: “We are now at the point where this is not just about the funding, however but the pledge.
“The then Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, came to Warrington and made an announcement in plain English to the residents of Warrington, promising them free passage over the Mersey bridges. It was not an announcement to look into the feasibility of the scheme. That he made this promise immediately before the 2015 General Election now smacks of electioneering, and the fact remains that a clear promise was made that the government has now reneged on.
“You refer to the risk of a challenge from other neighbouring authorities, but they were not the subject of the previous Chancellor’s announcement and are another matter altogether.
“It would of course be open to the Department for Transport to amend the regulations to obviate the possibility of a legal challenge. Warrington is the town that will suffer the most because of the direct impact of this reversal.
“I would urge you on behalf of my constituents to invite the Secretary of State to consider this matter further and honour the assurances that they were given in 2015.”
