Controversial plans to increase the charge to cross Warburton Toll Bridge will be examined at a public inquiry beginning next month. Proposals to increase the toll from for the first time in more than 130 years sparked major concerns after being put forward in the summer.
The proposed new toll price of £1 - up from 12p -is part of a £6.5 million plan to upgrade approach roads, footpaths and the tolling system by The Manchester Ship Canal Company (MSCC), which owns and operates the bridge. If approved, the new toll will include discounts for local residents and frequent users.
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It has now been confirmed that a public inquiry will take place at the Village Hotel – it will begin on November 8 at 10am. The inquiry is being held into objections to the application made by the MSCC under section six of the Transport and Works Act 1992, for the making of an order under section three of that Act, titled the Rixton and Warburton Bridge Order.
The purpose of the order, if made, is to update and modernise provisions of the existing legislation in respect of the Rixton and Warburton Bridge, in particular to revise the tolls which MSCC may charge for use of the bridge and supersedes the toll levels set out in the Rixton and Warburton Bridge Act 1863.
The order also contains provisions for MSCC to make new byelaws in relation to the good management and use of the bridge in order to safeguard the navigation of the Manchester Ship Canal. In addition, the order contains provisions for MSCC to transfer the Rixton and Warburton Bridge undertaking to the Rixton and Warburton Bridge Company Limited, should MSCC so resolve.
The bridge, which links Rixton and Warburton, was first opened in 1863 and has charged a 12p toll since 1890. Speaking in July when the increase was first suggested a spokesperson for Manchester Ship Canal Company said: “Warrington Borough Council and Trafford Borough Council have been fully involved over several years in helping us to develop our plan to future-proof the bridge.
“Judging by the feedback we receive about the bridge and the approach roads, the upgrades will be welcomed because they will ultimately reduce travel times and provide smoother journeys.
“The current toll was set during the American Civil War and it too needs to be brought into the 21st Century, which will be the best way of funding these improvements, accepting that no action is not a sustainable way forward.”
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