Liverpool trams decision today

THE Government will today announce whether Merseytram is to be given the final go-ahead.

After five years of work and millions of pounds of development costs, everyone associated with the scheme will be anxiously awaiting today's 3.30pm written statement in the House of Commons.

Line One of Merseytram already has planning permission, it has passed a public inquiry and scheme promoters Merseytravel are close to agreement with Liverpool Council on ongoing issues.

But that will all mean nothing if the money is not made available to build the 11-mile route from Kirkby to Liverpool city centre.

The Government provisionally pledged £170m of the then £228m cost of Line One in December 2002, with the rest coming from local contributions including Objective One and the private sector.

Costs have risen in the intervening two years and it will need something like £200m from Whitehall to cover the current estimates of around £250m.

Last week, the omens appeared extremely positive and the Daily Post reported on sources within Liverpool town hall who suggested a positive announcement would be made within 48 hours.

That announcement never arrived and it is fair to say that as the week went on confidence locally began to dissipate.

Sources at Merseytravel insist they have heard nothing either way and it appears the government decision is being kept a closely-guarded secret.

Those behind the project will be hoping for at least £90m this year to allow work to start next month.

With completion due at the end of 2007, the timetable would be, in the words of Liverpool's assistant director of regeneration Tom McCabe, "record-breaking stuff".

Merseytram is one of the region's key transport infrastructure projects, with two more lines due to follow in future years, running from Liverpool to Prescot and Whiston (Line Two) and finally to John Lennon Airport (Line Three).

The first step along that road though is the successful building of Line One which is what makes today's announcement so critical.

Positive news means the region can look forward to a tram system up and running some time during Capital of Culture year in 2008 and investment of at least £700m in the three lines in the next decade.

Merseytram would be able to sit alongside Grosvenor's redevelopment of Liverpool city centre, the cruise liner terminal at Princes Dock and the new arena and conference centre at Kings Dock as major infrastructure projects which are being delivered in the city.

But bad news this afternoon would add Merseytram to the long list of failed projects in Liverpool, a hall of shame which most recently includes the Fourth Grace and Everton's original stadium plan for Kings Dock. By Andy Kelly, Daily Post

andykelly@dailypost.co.uk

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