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Cheshire transport plan losing grip
A L17m transport project that has been 13-years in the planning may fall through after Cheshire County councillors voted against funding of the first phase of work.
The county's Conservative led councillors have endorsed an advisory committee's recommendation not to fund work that would see a 1,200-space Park and Ride site situated at the end of the M53 with a 2.5km guided bus way along a disused railway line running directly into Chester. Despite having been passed by three local plan inquiries and the Transport and Works Act order, the proposed plans have now been held up as councillors have decided that they are not as financially viable as originally predicted.
The county's Conservative led councillors have endorsed an advisory committee's recommendation not to fund work that would see a 1,200-space Park and Ride site situated at the end of the M53 with a 2.5km guided bus way along a disused railway line running directly into Chester. Despite having been passed by three local plan inquiries and the Transport and Works Act order, the proposed plans have now been held up as councillors have decided that they are not as financially viable as originally predicted.
Yet a review by Cheshire council's Environment Director, Peter Cocker, concluded that the scheme would be highly cost-effective and would provide transport alternatives required in the area. Cheshire planners are warning the council that aborting the scheme now would lose the authority an L8m government transport grant as well as leaving the council drastically short of the improvement targets set by Transport Minster Alistair Darling for local authorities.
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