Tory threat to Metrolink plan

THE future of plans to bring trams to Oldham town centre was thrown into confusion when the Tories pledged to break the link between the Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) and congestion charging.

The Government has made congestion charging a condition of receiving money from the fund for £3 billion of public transport improvements to Greater Manchester.

But at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, Shadow Transport Secretary Theresa Villiers told delegates: “No more using the Transport Innovation Fund to bully our towns and cities into congestion charging.

“Instead, we’d free up that funding for innovative local solutions on issues like buses and cycling which have so much potential to provide alternatives to the car.”

Speaking to the Chronicle after her speech, Ms Villiers would not commit the Conservatives to the £1.5 billion currently on offer from the Labour Government — which would go with another £1.2 billion of borrowing against future congestion charge takings.

She said Greater Manchester would have to bid along with other authorities for TIF money.

Asked if that meant starting the bidding process from scratch, she said: “We wanted the people of Manchester to be given a proper say so we need to see what the result of the referendum is and then decide.

“If councils want to go ahead with congestion charging, we will not want to stop them.”

The referendum on the congestion charge in Greater Manchester takes place on December 11.

Ms Villiers also pledged to scrap any plans for national satellite-based road pricing, and committed a Conservative government to building a high-speed rail link between London and Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds — instead of a third runway at Heathrow.

She said: “It would generate huge economic benefits. It would dramatically improve transport links between North and South.

“And it would give a vitally important boost to our efforts to protect future generations from catastrophic climate change.”