Council votes on C-charge scheme

Bury Council may join Trafford and Stockport in rejecting the plans

Councillors in Bury are to vote on whether to withdraw support for the introduction of congestion charges in Greater Manchester.

The 10 local authorities which make up Greater Manchester voted on the plans in the summer - with eight in support.

But Bury Council is considering joining Trafford and Stockport in rejecting the plans after help promised to tackle its own traffic problems did not arrive.

The scheme's future will be jeopardised if Bury council votes against it.

Under the terms of the bid by the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA), there must be at least a two-thirds majority among the 10 councils for it to go ahead.

Withdrawing support

Council leaders in Bury originally said they would oppose the congestion charge, but voted to back the bid in July after AGMA agreed to tackle traffic congestion to the north of the town and in Ramsbottom.

Bury's Tory leader, Councillor Bob Bibby, said there had been no progress on the matter since then and the council would now be withdrawing its support.

"They said they would look at the problem and get back to me. That was one of the conditions of us supporting the bid in the first place," he said.

Under the scheme, Greater Manchester would receive £3bn to spend on public transport, but only 40 per cent would come from the government and the rest would be borrowed and repaid from the proceeds of bringing in road tolls.

The cash would be spent on an extension to the Metrolink tram system and more investment in buses and trains.

Bury Council will be holding a vote later.