Report on impact of Mersey Gateway due in 2019

A TRANSPORT minister has said reports monitoring the impact of the Mersey Gateway bridge will be published next year and four years after that.

Jesse Norman MP gave the answer in reply to a question from Maria Eagle, Labour MP for Garston and Halewood.

Miss Eagle had asked whether Transport Secretary Chris Grayling would undertake any research to assess the economic impact on the Liverpool City Region of tolls on the Mersey Gateway, Silver Jubilee Bridge and Mersey Tunnels.

The written question was issued on July 24, with Mr Nor- man’s reply issued on September 7.

Last month the Weekly News reported that unemployment may have risen in Halton since the Mersey Gateway bridge opened in October, with tolls imposed on any motorists not signed up to the Halton residents’ free crossings discount scheme.

The out-of-work claimant count had increased in four out of six areas but with some uncertainty ● Maria Eagle MP over the figures due to the rollout of Universal Credit, which tends to inflate the apparent unemployment rate because of the way it is counted.

Tolls critic John McGoldrick, of the Scrap Mersey Tolls campaign, branded the Mersey Gateway job prediction figures as ‘mythical’, although this was disputed by the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board, which has said more than 1,000 jobs have already been created from the projected 4,650 roles to be gen- erated directly or indirectly by the bridge over the course of the 27-year contract.

In his reply to Miss Eagle, Mr Norman said: “The department has agreed with Halton Borough Council that they will produce a monitoring and evaluation report, one year and five years after the opening of the Mersey Gateway bridge.

“The five-year report will include consideration of the economic effects of the scheme.

He added: “The department has no plans to undertake research on other crossings in the region.”