Burnham insists money remains for Liverpool Manchester scheme despite govt remarks

Andy Burnham has insisted money has been set aside for the development of a high speed rail line between Liverpool and Manchester, despite the new Transport Secretary seeming to pour cold water on the idea.

As Labour meets for its first conference in government for 14 years in Liverpool, Louise Haigh said she was to look again at major transport projects that had been unfunded by the last administration.

This includes a previously promised £12 billion fund for a high speed rail line between the two cities and the development of a revamped Liverpool Central Station.

However, as Mr Burnham and Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor for the Liverpool City Region, unveiled the make up of the Liverpool-Manchester Rail Board, the Greater Manchester Mayor said he had received no indication previously earmarked funding was no longer available.

Ms Haigh said yesterday how the previous government “went round promising money like there was no tomorrow” and said funding “is not practically available at the moment” for schemes like the Liverpool-Manchester line.

She said she understood the importance of the project but would take a step back as money that would have gone towards the scrapped HS2 line was not “sitting in a pot somewhere.”

In April, Mr Burnham and Mr Rotheram outlined their vision for the board which they hope will further increase rail capacity between the two city regions.

They confirmed a partnership board will also be led by former Tory rail minister Huw Merriman, who Mr Burnham described as an “ally” for the regions.

Discussing Ms Haigh’s remarks, the Mayor of Greater Manchester said the project would still require major funding and had yet to be informed of a change in circumstances.

He said: “The only indication I have had is that the £12bn was ring fenced from the HS2 decision last year and there’s been no announcement to the contrary so rather than statements in the media, I can only go on what we’ve been told we can work with.

“Additional to that £12bn there was £5bn for what Steve (Rotheram) calls 5.1, what he calls a cut price option for the Liverpool end, so add it together, £17bn, that was confirmed by the last government, that’s what we’re working with.

"That’s the position we have got and nothing and nobody has contacted us to say anything different.”

The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (CA)has already advertised for a strategic partner to work with it on a regeneration plan for the area around Liverpool Central with two clear imperatives.

The CA wants to address the capacity issues at the hugely busy Liverpool Central, while also looking to create a ‘once-in-a-generation’ opportunity to redefine the wider area around the station and deliver “transformational place-based regeneration.”

The area – including Renshaw Street and Ranelagh Street is seen as a potential major gateway between the city centre and the growing Knowledge Quarter that includes the city’s universities, the new Royal Liverpool Hospital and the landmark Knowledge Quarter development.

While Mr Rotheram said earlier in a press briefing there had been “goodwill from the new government,” Mr Burnham said it was not palatable for the money to be taken away for the project.

He said: “We will not accept the cutting of that, you can’t cut HS2 then cut this, just paring back everything we won’t accept that.

“We believe the government of any colour needs to honour promises to the North of England and that’s what we will fight for.”

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