Stockport's Metrolink expansion could be delivered sooner than expected.
Councillors vowed last night to do what they can to "fast-track" the process and "cut through the red tape" when securing funding and permissions from central Government.
At a cabinet meeting last night (Tuesday February 4), council leader Coun Elise Wilson said: "I was really delighted to be able to announce [two weeks ago] the funding for a business case which will take us one step closer to bringing Metrolink into Stockport.
"We're hoping that we can fast-track the delivery of the Metrolink so not only have we secured the funding to start the business case but we're looking at how we can apply for the funding and permissions from Government in a streamlined way, cutting through the red tape, so that we can deliver Metrolink faster."
The council leader said a full public consultation on the Metrolink expansion would be carried out to ensure residents were "fully part of that decision making process".
The business case that the council now has funding for will determine the cost and impact of the Metrolink expansion into Stockport.
Coun Wilson added that Coun David Meller, cabinet member for economy and regeneration, was going to begin work as part of the town centre regeneration scheme towards the end of 2020.
The council leader explained this work will play a key role in speeding up the process of delivering the Metrolink expansion.
Coun Wilson said: "The problem with infrastructure investments is invariably it takes forever to go from having an idea to actual delivery and we're ambitious here.
"The leadership of this council is really ambitious to deliver and not just deliver at some point in the future but deliver now."
She added that the council has a "track record" to prove that it has delivered in the past.
The Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, has previously made pledges to begin work on the Stockport Metrolink expansion within the next decade.
No exact date or timeframe has been established for when the expansion would definitely be started or completed.
