Tram 'will go ahead' despite Tory win

[scandal]

I'm sure that everyone is aware of yesterdays election results which left Labout loosing all 4 of it's remianing county councils, effectively meaning that the Conservatives now run Local Government. One of the councils to fall to the Conservatives was Nottinghamshire, the Conservatie Councillors, lead by Radcliffe-on-Trent's Conservatie representive Kay Cutts had been campaigning on an anti-tram ticket.

This was backed by Shadow Cabinet member Theresa May (is this a contradiction of the new Conservatives think green vote blue?) http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/n...scrap-tram/article-963867-detail/article.html

Tram 'will go ahead' despite Tory win

Labour politicians have pledged the extension to Nottingham's tram system will go ahead despite a Conservative commitment to scrap it.

During the election campaign, the Tories said if they gained control of Notts County Council they would pull the authority out of the project.

The Evening Post has learned a meeting took place last week which included Notts MPs, the leader of the city council Jon Collins and the authority's chief executive Jane Todd, among other officers.

The group considered the financing of the tram in detail and have concluded it can go ahead even if Notts County Council withdraws from the scheme.

Alan Simpson, MP for Nottingham South, who attended the meeting, said: "This is an issue we raised at a meeting last week with city council officials. They came up with a workable scheme to deliver tram lines two and three and we are on track to do that."

Nobody was available for comment at Nottingham City Council.

But Coun Steve Barber, of Broxtowe Borough Council, said: "The tram will happen, it's far too important not to happen, it's too big a project for the city and for the region.

"The amount of money the Tories are going to withhold will be found – but it could take up to a year to find it and cause a huge delay for Beeston."

Details of how the scheme will be financed without support from the county council are yet to emerge.

However, following the Conservative victory group leader Coun Kay Cutts appeared to back-track on her position.

She said: "If somebody comes up with a direct route that's affordable, like the line in Hucknall, then we might reconsider but only if they come up with a new plan."

Already it seems to me that the new Conservative council are back tracking, from the inital claims made that the tram was poor value for money and would not benefit the whole county. Already they have now back tracked on this saying that they are not against trams in general, but the route that has been chosen....this is a change fromn the earlier claims that for Nottinghamshire County trams were not good value for money for the whole region.

"I am not wanting to pull up the drawbridge with Nottingham city but no one is going to make the whole of the county pay for something which most can't use."

Source: Nottingham Evening Post, 19/05/09

Interestingly, with a TWAO and 75% of the funding secured, as well as CPO and compeleted public inquires is there anyway of the Conservative Council actually being able to stop the project apart from removing funding? It should incidentally be noted that the majority of Line 3 runs within Broxtowe which is within Nottinghamshire County, however the City seem to be picking up the majority of the bill for the tram project.

Anyone interested can find more online here
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/politics_show/8076600.stm

 

[Metroland]

Just as well Trams have a better modal shift than Bus, can regenerate more and provide better capacity

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=EwUOAAAAQAAJ&pg=PP1&dq=urban+transport+planning

http://www.pteg.net/PolicyCentre/LightRail/Whatlightrailcandoforcities.htm

 

[gordonthemoron]

and all this rubbish about better bus services, nottingham already has one of the best bus services in the UK

 

[scandal]

Further to Metrolands comments it is interesting to note that Nottingham (City) has joined PTEG, the original Labour County Council had pledged to join this if re elected however this has obviously not happend. Just as things began to go quiet there now seems to be more doubt from the City about the tram

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/homenews/Rift-deepens-tram/article-1094746-detail/article.html

I do find it odd that a Conservative council is not wanting to improve transport and thereby encourage businesses to relocate into the area. With the agreements, indeed TWAO and public inquiries complete, legally it seems to me that the scheme is now extremely hard to stop.

Having looked over the mapping and boundarys, to me it seems Line 2 is almost entirely within the City, with the route of the former GCR through Wilford/West Bridgford marking the boundary between city and Rushcliffe (infact I think the embankment according to the public inquiry is within Rushcliffe as the City was required to compensate this 'green corridor' of Rushcliffe with city land). Thats not to say that despite it being mainmly in the city it does not benefit the county plenty of Rushcliffe inhabitants from West Bridgford will flood to the line offering a far quicker serive then the NCT GO2 6/10 direct through the city). Line 3 however is much more within Broxtowe, after leaving past NG2 business park it seems from then on it is within Broxtowe Borough all the way up to Toton Lane P&R, this one would of course be harder to stop as the related schemes to it (such as Beeston town centre regeneration are well within the county).

It does make me wonder though why the City are paying so much when at least half of the route is within the County and the main benefits of the scheme will be felt within the County.

 

[gordonthemoron]

'green corridor'? don't make me laugh, it's a dog's toilet and much of the embankment north of wilford lane is inaccessible (and potentially dangerous).

I would also have thought that line 3 would be within Nottingham City until Dunkirk.

Also, the line 2 goes nowhere near Go2 line 6 and not very close to Go2 line 10

 

[Geezertronic]

As an outsider looking in, please excuse my ignorance but can anyone explain why they couldn't extend Line 2 or Line 3 to East Midlands Airport, especially Line 2 as it is supposed to serve East Midlands parkway Station which currently serves the airport by virtue of a shuttle bus service?

 

[gordonthemoron]

of the two, line 3 would probably be most convenient.

Between Clifton & EMA (line 2), is about 7 miles and that is mainly open countryside so not much custom on the way, also a bridge would be required over the M1.

Between Chilwell & EMA (line 3), don't know the distance, the tram could be routed via long eaton & sawley which have a reasonable amount of residents and probably then via Castle Donnington. But again a bridge (or possibly a tunnel) to cross the M1 is required,

NET is primarily to service Nottingham City, so given the M1 crossing problems & that EMA is in Leicestershire & long eaton is in derbyshire, I can't see it happening.

 

[scandal]

'green corridor'? don't make me laugh, it's a dog's toilet and much of the embankment north of wilford lane is inaccessible (and potentially dangerous).

Yes I agree, but didnt stop the NIMBYs requiring Rushcliffe Borough to be allocated part of the land between Clifton and Ruddington Lane to be taken from the City to the County.

I would also have thought that line 3 would be within Nottingham City until Dunkirk.

But the route extends a fair way to Toton Lane, so a large part of it is within the County. My point is the City are putting in about £100m, compared to £28m for the county yet I doubt the 70% of the routes are in the City boundary.

Also, the line 2 goes nowhere near Go2 line 6 and not very close to Go2 line 10

The 10, along with the 8/9 serves the area near Compton Acres. Alongside the 1/2/3/4/48/Skylink serving Clifton and Wilford Lane so its arguable with the modal shift and extra walking time people are prepared to give trams patronage on these services will fall. I agree having looked that its really too far from Line 6 to make any impact.


Interestingly this is the one story that doesn't seem to go away for the new team at county hall.

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/news/Plea-action-tram/article-1120460-detail/article.html

£28m seems too expensive to spend on a tram system it seems for the whole county, yet dualling of the A46 and other proposed roadway improvements (state funded least we forget). £365m for A46 17 mile dualling...so £21m per mile, while part is indeed in Leicestershire its interesting the county are happy to pay £21m a mile for roadway rather then an extra £7m for more miles of light rail that will benefit more people. Especially considering air and road traffic is down 20% whilst rail, and light rail is up. Nottingham Tram recording record numbers over tis 5 years in operation.