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Business leaders pledge to fight back

21/ 7/2004

FURIOUS business leaders today pledged to fight the government's "desperate and outrageous" move to withdraw funding for the Metrolink extension.

As the dust settled on Transport Secretary Alistair Darling's shock announcement, those in the Manchester business community vowed not to give up without a scrap.

Angie Robinson, chief executive of Manchester Chamber of Commerce, said: "It is a desperate and outrageous situation, we can hardly believe it.

"The business community is up in arms, we shall be campaigning harder than ever.

"I don't like banging on about the north-south divide but it seems clear that the south east is going to gain from our losses, with the Crossrail project - from east to west London - costing '10bn.

M.E.N.

"We fought before the Commonwealth Games to get the line to the stadium finished and that didn't happen because of the government's dithering. We are determined to continue campaigning for the Metrolink, and the Chamber is wholly behind the M.E.N. campaign.

"It is worse than snatching sweets from children. Our city will grind to a halt unless we have some proper alleviations within the next few years. I think that after this the business community will go absolutely mad if congestion charging is now introduced without the Metrolink extension."

Damian Waters, regional director of Confederation of British Industry in the north west, accused the government of "dodging the issue" in the hope that someone else would pick up the bill.

"It was a day of contradiction, with the government talking in the morning about plans to reduce congestion and then, in the afternoon, withdrawing a scheme that would do just that."

Mr Waters' said increased congestion on the roads around Greater Manchester would hit the local economy.

"As congestion gets worse the economy will get bogged down.

"Schemes like the Metrolink help cut congestion and we would expect the government to be supporting them."

John Barnacle, chief executive of pro.manchester, which represents the city's legal, accountancy, banking and insurance professionals, described the decision as "a significant blow".

"The Metrolink has clearly been a success. If we intend to continue expanding the city and employment opportunities in it, then it creates serious issues about ease of commuting, quality of life and so on for the whole of the business community."

Paul Henly

Paul Henly, regional policy manager for the Federation of Small Businesses said: "This government has seen fit to reap billions of pounds in revenue from fuel tax but does not seem prepared to use this to invest in public transport in the regions.

"It is a completely backward step which the Federation of Small Businesses deplores. Public transport needs continual investment to improve networks and this `Big Bang' extension would have benefited businesses and communities which cannot afford to be based in Manchester but need access to the city centre."

Tom Russell, chief executive of New East Manchester - one of the areas which would have benefited from the expansion - said: "This is deeply disappointing and is completely at odds with the commitment previously shownto Metrolink by the Department for Transport."

Neil Fountain, chief executive of Manchester Investment and Development Agency Service said: "We are very disappointed at the announcement.

"MIDAS will be supporting the work of the local authorities and as they continue to press for the expansion of the Metrolink."

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