A crunch meeting over the future of Leeds' under-threat trolleybus scheme has been described as 'positive and sympathetic'.
Councillors and transport bosses said yesterday's all-party meeting organised by Conservative Pudsey MP Stuart Andrew with Transport Minister Norman Baker pressed home the benefits of the £250m New Generation Transport Scheme to the city.
The coalition government is expected to make a final decision about the scheme's future in an autumn spending review of the previous government's spending commitments.
Andrew said:
"The meeting was an opportunity to reiterate to Mr Baker the significant, economic, environmental and social benefits the planned NGT trolleybus network would bring to Leeds and the City Region," said Stuart Andrew.
"We reminded the minister that NGT will help to create 4,000 new jobs locally and generate a £160m per annum boost for the City Region's economy, and that it met the new government's priority of putting an emphasis on more sustainable, low carbon transport initiatives."
Metro deputy chairman and Otley and Yeadon Liberal Democrat councillor Ryk Downes warned the minister over the finanicial implications of not goign ahead with the scheme.
He said:
"We got a positive and sympathetic reception from Mr Baker and we look forward to welcoming him to Leeds in the next few weeks as agreed so that we can show him in more detail, the economic and environmental benefits of NGT and the other schemes
"The meeting was also an opportunity to alert Mr Baker to the consequences of not going ahead with the scheme and also the additional costs that would be generated by any significant delay in taking it forward.
"A lot of work has already been carried out and money spent to prepare the scheme proposals for acceptance by the Department for Transport, which it received earlier this year and some of that work and money would be wasted if we were forced to do it all over again.
"And this would add to the overall cost of the scheme."
Downes said that the scheme was more economical than trams - at around half the cost. He added:
"We also made the point that it is easier to extend a trolleybus network and that it would be possible to 'upgrade' the routes to trams in the future."
Kirkstall Forge and southern Leeds Station entrance raised
The Leeds team also discussed other key local transport projects caught in the current spending review such as planned new rail stations at Kirkstall Forge and Apperley Bridge and the new southern entrance at Leeds station.
Leader of the Conservative group on Leeds council, Andrew Carter, added: "We fully understand the government's need to review major schemes as it explores measures to tackle the current economic situation - but transport projects such as the NGT Trolleybus would have a major impact on innovation and jobs and provide a significant economic return to the country.
"Investing in them would also show that this Government intends to end decades of underspending on public transport in our region and it would be in line with statements made by Transport Minister Theresa Villiers and Chancellor George Osborne in Manchester recently that northern cities need 'great transport systems' as part of the Government's commitment to growth in the north."
Petition launched in Leeds
As reported on this blog earlier this month, a petition has been launched in Leeds to save the trolleybus scheme, run by campaigning organisation 38 Degrees.
The Labour government earlier this year granted Programme Entry Approval to the NGT Trolleybus scheme and allocated funding for the North Route to Bodington, the South Route to Stourton and a city centre link between these routes. In addition the government also gave approval to a proposed extension of the North Route to serve the Holt Park area.
The government did not fund the East Route to St James's Hospital or the full city centre loop. Work is currently under way to investigate alternative means of funding these sections of the Leeds trolleybus network.
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