New concern over congestion charge

Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) logo

The business group opposing congestion-charge plans has written to all 645 Greater Manchester councillors, claiming their right to decide is about to be taken away.

New arrangements for making decisions — which are being worked out by the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) and which will affect all 10 districts — would railroad local councils into accepting road pricing, according to Peel Holdings’ boss Andrew Simpson in a letter that has infuriated AGMA leaders.

He added: “Unfortunately for residents in areas near to Manchester, the influence of Manchester City Council will effectively dictate their local transport policy.”

But GMPTA opposition leader Richard Knowles described the letter as a red herring.

Mr Simpson is managing director of Trafford Centre owners Peel and chairman of the Greater Manchester Momentum Group of businesses, which includes household names such as Harvey Nichols, Kellogg’s, and Makro.

The Government is only weeks away from deciding whether to give Greater Manchester £1.2 billion from its Transport Innovation Fund and allow it to borrow another £1.8 billion to fund public transport improvements — including bringing trams to Oldham town centre — through congestion charging.

Among the proposals being considered by AGMA is to accept a simple majority decision on major investment and transport policies instead of the present two-thirds —which would mean that more than six councils need to agree to congestion charging before it can go ahead.

Councillor Knowles said Peel had every right to lobby councillors, but felt the company was worrying unnecessarily. He said: “If the Government says, ‘Yes’, there will be 12 weeks of consultation and then AGMA will decide on a simple majority of the 10 leaders.”

A strategic board for transport would oversee all the new developments, but Councillor Knowles said that would only happen long after a decision on congestion charging was taken.

Mr Simpson urged councillors to reject moves “to introduce policies, such as the congestion charge, by the undemocratic centralisation of power away from the basic principles of local democracy”.

AGMA Chairman, Lord Peter Smith, leader of Wigan council, said: “This is a strange and unusual way to exert the influence of big business. These arrangements concern more than just congestion charging and we were working on them long before it was envisaged.”