Action plea over city tram scheme

THE leader of private sector lobby group Downtown Liverpool in Business has called on the region’s business community to do all it can to save the Mersey Tram project.

Frank McKenna’s call for action came after question marks were raised over the project.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling questioned the financial viability of the scheme at a Chamber of Commerce event in Liverpool last week, and indicated that it was a project unlikely to gain support from an incoming Conservative Government.

Meanwhile, speaking at a DLIB Property & Enterprise Forum today, the Head of Liverpool City Council’s regeneration team, John Kelly, confirmed that land assembled for the project was only banked until 2010.

Mr McKenna said: “The city region’s public and private sectors must work together to lobby national politicians hard for their support for a Mersey Tram scheme that would add so much value to the Liverpool economy.

“We literally have 12 months to save the tram, and the business community has to demonstrate it’s unequivocal support for the initiative.”

He added: “We all know that public expenditure will be tight from 2011, and therefore a cocktail of funding may be required to deliver the Tram.

“Rather than simply going cap in hand to Government, we must be more innovative in looking at how the monies can be raised.

“Working in partnership with local and central Government, the private sector has to be prepared to invest in a project that Liverpool simply cannot afford to lose.”