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'We will find a solution soon'

18/11/2004

TRANSPORT minister Tony McNulty has vowed a solution to the Metrolink dilemma will be reached by the new year.

Mr McNulty was speaking to a delegation of more than 150 Metrolink campaigners who converged on the House of Commons to lobby ministers and MPs.

He told the delegates, including business leaders, Tameside councillors, and representatives from the GMPTA and transport workers' union, that there was no easy solution to financing the Big Bang extension, which will include a spur through Ashton.

He said: "No one needs to tell us how important Metrolink is in terms of regeneration. We know that, but no government would hand over a cheque for a project whose costs had risen from £286m to £1bn."

Mr McNulty said despite two 'productive' meetings with an MPs' working party, forging a way towards a new deal on the light-rail extension was still 'a hugely-complicated' affair.

He added: "My promise is that at the end of it all there will be a recognition by the government that the transport needs of Manchester need to be determined. That does not necessarily mean back on track. It may mean there is something to salvage; it may not. It may mean going right back to scratch. What I can say is that even if it takes 20 meetings between now and Christmas we will get a resolution on this and get something that satisfies the needs of Greater Manchester."

Ashton MP David Heyes was one of the speakers who addressed the lobbyists. He said: "The shelving of the Metrolink extension in July was a huge bombshell for people in Manchester, but with days like today we can keep the issue alive in the eyes of the parliamentarians and civil servants."

James Purnell, MP for Stalybridge and Hyde, said: "We have had confirmation the government is in favour of the trams. The money is still there; we just want a deal done by Christmas."

As we went to press, Greater Manchester MPs on the working party were meeting with transport ministers to show them the Metrolink's new financial package in full for the first time.

Published 18 November 2004