We don't need city trams

THE company behind the huge shopping development in Liverpool city centre has said it can do without the proposed tram scheme.

Grosvenor, which has begun construction of its £920m Paradise Street retail development, insisted the viability and timetable for completion of its scheme was not dependent on the trams bringing in thousands of shoppers a day into the heart of the new shopping district.

Grosvenor director Rod Holmes was speaking after revelations in the Daily Post that the £1bn transport programme is looking increasingly unlikely to happen following decisions by three of

Merseyside's local authorities not to back it. Mr Holmes said: "It's not that important. It would be nice, but it is not essential. We can cope without it."

However Mr Holmes went on to attack the local authorities for their lack of support for the transport scheme.

"If this really is the end of the line for the scheme, Grosvenor will be disappointed. The city aspires to regain its position as a major European city. The best European cities have modern light rail transport systems."

Supporters of the tram scheme had maintained that it was crucial for the Grosvenor scheme to succeed. Mr Holmes denies this. He said: "The Paradise project will continue and will be completed on time for 2008 with or without the trams.

"Remember Grosvenor submitted a planning application in 2002 and our commitment was unconditional by the end of 2004. We made this commitment without any certainty that the trams would happen.

"We just think it would have been better for the city as a whole and for Paradise Street project if the trams did happen, but they are not essential for the viability of the delivery of the project."

Nevertheless, it had been expected that around two-thirds of all shoppers would arrive at the new scheme by public transport.

But regeneration sources close to the scheme said that during its planning stages the traffic impact of the Paradise Street scheme had included an assessment based on the assumption that the trams would not be built.

This assessment found that transport could still be managed satisfactorily without the trams. Another source insisted there was plenty of spare capacity on Merseyside's buses.

Those opposed to the trams scheme have argued it would merely serve to duplicate existing train and bus services.

Similar schemes around the country have also suffered in the same way.

billgleeson@dailypost.co.uk By Bill Gleeson, Daily Post

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