Rowen puts transport in Rochdale in the spotlight!

Date published: 01/12/2005

The campaign to extend the Metrolink to Rochdale, Oldham and the rest of Greater Manchester stepped up a gear this week as Rochdale Lib Dem MP Paul Rowen secured an Adjournment Debate on light rail at Westminster.  Paul was joined by MPs from all parties in the lively debate in Westminster Hall.

Paul said, "I will continue to press the Government to make good their promises on extending the Metrolink to Rochdale.  I'm afraid that we in the North are treated like second-class citizens.  London does not seem to experience the problems that we have.  Recently we have seen light rail schemes shelved in Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester, Oldham and of course here in Rochdale.  There were a lot of angry MPs who took the opportunity to have their say in my debate."

Derek Twigg MP, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Transport told the meeting, "We (the Government) will continue to support tram schemes if they are the right solution for a particular area, and if their costs can be justified by bringing wider benefits. Certainly, we expect to fund some light rail schemes in future, but only as part of an integrated approach, to maximise the benefits."

Paul Rowen MP responded, "I was disappointed by his response - he talks about supporting tram schemes if they were right for the area and maximising the wider benefits.  The case in Rochdale is overwhelming, it is widely supported by the community and will breathe life back into our Town Centre.  The regeneration benefits for our town would be huge - maybe we would have a better chance of the Metrolink if Rochdale was a suburb of London!"

Paul asked the Minister three questions - "Is the Department for Transport committed to the three Manchester Metrolink lines? Does he accept that the scheme is now an integrated transport solution which will require additional transport innovation fund resources, and is the Department committed to giving the authority those resources? Finally, when does he expect an announcement to be made on when the third phase can proceed?"

These questions went unanswered.  Paul will now submit them to the Transport Secretary, Alastair Darling MP, and demand straight answers.  One Greater Manchester MP, Graham Stringer (Manchester Blackley), said the decision to shelve Metrolink "illustrated the fact that the north-south divide existed, because at the same time as the money was stopped for the three tram schemes, one third of a billion pounds was announced for London transport, and since then, there has been the decision to hold the Olympics in London. I think that that is a disastrous decision for the cities and regions of England."

Paul Rowen responded, "I wholeheartedly agree with the Member for Manchester Blackley, we need to stand shoulder to shoulder, irrespective of political party and continue to campaign for a fair deal for Greater Manchester.  At the moment this is not happening and I would hope that London hosting The Olympics doesn't have a detrimental effect on transport not just in Rochdale but the rest of the country."