Tolls to fund new Runcorn Bridge would hit small firms hardest, warns business group

18 June 2009

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The Forum of Private Business (FPB) is warning that struggling small businesses in the North West would be unfairly hit by a plan to introduce tolls to pay for a second Runcorn Bridge. The crossing has been proposed at an estimated cost of £431 million, with Halton Council likely to accrue far more in charges in future years, in order to ease traffic congestion.

In its response to the Mersey Gateway Bridge public inquiry, which runs until 25 June 2009, the FPB is warning that, if tolls are introduced on both the existing Silver Jubilee Bridge and the new crossing, businesses will be left with no cost-free route to cross the River Mersey.

The FPB is instead calling on Halton Council to follow the example set in Greater Manchester recently, where a proposed ‘congestion charging' scheme to pay for public transport improvements was dropped after a referendum in which it was voted against by majority of four to one.

The work will now be funded by pooling transport grants from individual councils in the region, despite the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) and the then Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority (now known as the Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority) insisting there was no alternative to charging drivers.

"Clearing congestion by building a new bridge linking Runcorn with Widnes would be of direct benefit to businesses in the Mersey Gateway area, but it would be wrong to fund it by forcing them to pay tolls on either crossing," said the FPB's Chief Executive, Phil Orford. "The new bridge should be paid for by local councils donating their government transport grants, if necessary, topped-up by Council Tax funds."

He added: "The improvements a new bridge would bring to the local community and economy are obvious. The FPB's proposal would be much fairer than introducing tolls, because the cost would be spread across all areas set to benefit from the scheme and not just the bridges' users."

"Manchester had been told that there was no alternative to congestion charging and yet a solution has now been found. We would like the inquiry to consider whether transport grants could be used for the Mersey Gateway Scheme project as well."

The FPB is concerned that the tolls would be a barrier to business, disproportionally impacting on small firms. Many, hit by credit restrictions, reduced trade and mounting late payments, are already struggling to survive the recession.

In a statement released last month, Halton's Mersey Gateway Project forecast that imposing tolls would, on an average working day in 2030, result in 40,000 fewer trips crossing the river between the Mersey Tunnels and M62. The FPB is concerned that the council's agenda in building a new bridge should not be to limit logistics and better business communication, but facilitate it.

In addition to extra supply and delivery costs, many employers would have no option but to compensate staff paying to cross the bridge in order to get to work.

That is just one concern FPB member Eric Sprakes, of Sprakes Transport Services in Widnes, shares with other business owners.

"The toll will really affect my business. We are based two minutes away from the Silver Jubilee Bridge, and have trucks leaving the depot and using the bridge every day. If both bridges are tolled, we will have no alternative, our costs will increase," said Mr Sprakes. "The only other route is to head to the M62, however, the fuel costs will be just as bad as paying the toll."

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Tolls to fund new Runcorn Bridge would hit small firms hardest, warns business group

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