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Icy reception for Moreton Tory councillor who announced tolls would be frozen

10:27am Wednesday 27th January 2010 in News By Justin Dunn

A TORY councillor who claims Mersey Tunnel tolls will remain frozen this year has stirred up a political storm.

Merseytravel board member and Moreton Conservative councillor Chris Blakeley has been assuring people via his website this week that the controversial tolls will not rise for a second year running.

Yet any decision on whether to raise tolls from £1.40 to £1.60 each way - originally proposed last year but deferred because of the credit crunch - will not be taken until Merseytravel, the tunnel's administrative body, meets early next month.

The matter has not even been discussed between the largest political group on the board, the Liberal Democrats, who are due to meet with Merseytravel's director of resources Jim Barclay to discuss the issue this Thursday - in advance of the whole board's budget discussions on February 4.

The Globe has spoken to several members of the Merseytravel board and all of them - apart from Cllr Blakeley - agree that there is not yet even an agenda for the February 4 budget meeting.

The board's chairman, Sefton Labour Cllr Mark Dowd, said that without an agenda it was impossible to say what would be discussed or any decisions that would be made.

Eastham Cllr Dave Mitchell, a Liberal Democrat member of the Merseytravel board, said: "This is blatant electioneering by Cllr Blakeley.

"We simply do not know what will happen at the meeting on February 4. There literally isn’t an order of business yet, let alone any kind of decision.

"It is impossible to say what is going to be talked about the budget meeting because so far, there isn’t even an agenda."

The 18-strong Merseytravel board is made up of councillors drawn from across the five Merseyside councils of Wirral, Liverpool, Sefton, Knowsley and St Helens.

Nine of them are Liberal Democrats, six Labour, and three Conservatives. The board is effectively “hung” with the Tories holding a powerful casting vote.

Cllr Blakeley this week insisted to the Globe that Merseytravel’s resources chief Mr Barclay, along with its chief executive Neil Scales, had assured him that no one would be recommending a toll rise.

"The authority will have the final decision but that’s what I've been told," he said.

Comments(24)

Cllr Chris Blakeley says...
11:14am Wed 27 Jan 10

Justin, you may see it as a row, I see it as a statement of fact. I have the budget paperwork and while I maintain that the Authority will make the final decision, the fact is that the Director of Resources has said the budget document he has shared with me, is the document that will be going to the Authority. That document confirms that tolls remain as they are currently. As for the Lib Dems, what is there problem? Do they not approve of good news? Personally I listen to what senior Merseytravel Officers tell me, and question them accordingly, in this instance I have asked various questions. If either of the other two political parties wish to move an increase in tolls that is up to them. If they do that, I will listen to all the arguments they make, and then make my decision accordingly. As far as I am concerned this is good news for Tunnel users, surely we should all be delighted by that?

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piggymalone says...
12:11pm Wed 27 Jan 10

At least Chris is trying to do something on behalf of his constituents which is more than than can be said for a high proportion of other councillors. After all he has only repeated what he has been told by Scales and Barclay, so good on you Chris

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hugo2008 says...
4:16pm Wed 27 Jan 10

Yet another example why we must remove Political Party Politics out of Local Government.
We need local government and all those very expensive QUANGO bodies answerable to to the local population. not the Party Political Whips, remember this when it comes to election time.
Tunnel Fees are a tax that nobody outside Merseyside is forced to pay. Motorists already pay exorbitant amounts of cash in Road Tax and Fuel Duty, and we don't even get decent road surfaces, let alone salt on them when we need it.
Use your vote as you wish but lets get all those parasites out of the system, regardless of what political party you support. We need a fresh start, both Nationally and Locally.

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johnbrace says...
11:33am Thu 28 Jan 10

Firstly as a member of the Mersey Tunnel Users Association, I would like to see an end to the tunnel tolls (which those of my grandfather's generation were told would one day be abolished).

My wife doesn't pay tolls because she has a disability. I didn't pay in the days I pedalled through on a bike. From what I remember motorcyclists didn't have to pay then either.

The agreed policy of Wirral Council on this issue is here - http://www.wirral.go
v.uk/minute/viewmins
.asp?mtg=2336#140 ; which was agreed by a full Council meeting in April 2008.

I can understand that it costs money to pay off the tunnel's debt and for it to be part of the road network. Why does Mersey Tunnels need its own police though? Why is it shut down so often at night (forcing buses to be rerouted)?

Most of my journeys to Liverpool these days are by train. Surely we should be encourage public transport use and for people to have local jobs that don't require a long commute through the tunnels?

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Merseymouth says...
2:12pm Thu 28 Jan 10

I'd be more impressed if Councillor Blakeley was pushing for a reduction in tolls.

Eighteen members at 33,000 a person expenses. Nice work if you can get it!

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Cllr Chris Blakeley says...
2:30pm Thu 28 Jan 10

Merseymouth, I don't know where you get your figures from, if you look on the Merseytravel Website you will see the allowances, perhaps you should start checking facts before you comment! Secondly at last years budget thats precisely what I, and my colleague did, in fact we went further and as well as a reduction we asked for the tunnels to be free for periods of time each day. Sadly, it was voted down by Labour and LIb Dem councillors. That is a matter of public record.

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Jayo says...
3:04pm Thu 28 Jan 10

Just a quick point. On the other thread Chris you stated "open mind no pre-determination" This now sounds like it has already been decided and thus determined.

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slumdog says...
3:25pm Thu 28 Jan 10

Chris Blakeley, if Merseymouth has got it wrong why dont you tell us how much you do get?

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Cllr Chris Blakeley says...
3:28pm Thu 28 Jan 10

Jayo, how can it have been decided? A report, prepared by Merseytravel officers will go to the ull authority next week. As I understand it that report will not be recommending any increase in Tolls, however it is entirely up to the 18 members to either agree with that recommendation, or move an amendment to it. Until that time nothing has been determined by the 18 elected members including me.

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Cllr Chris Blakeley says...
3:33pm Thu 28 Jan 10

Slumdog it is a matter of public record for all the members on the authority. The allowances are published every year, they can be found at: http://www.merseytra
vel.gov.uk/

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slumdog says...
4:02pm Thu 28 Jan 10

Chris, so why not tell us?

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lordthomas says...
9:46pm Thu 28 Jan 10

found it 2008-2009
Name C Blakeley
Job Title Rail Chair
Basic Allowance 5,688.75
Special Responsibility Allowance 10,071.77
Travel & Subsistence Payments 2,181.38
Total 17,941.90

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slumdog says...
1:49am Fri 29 Jan 10

Thanks lordthomas, I wonder how long he's been there and what the total is? Why couldn't he just tell us?

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slumdog says...
11:05am Fri 29 Jan 10

Tolls were abolished on the Sky bridge in 2004 after much protest from bridge users.
..
The Mersey tunnel and the Humber bridge have both frozen toll increases for a while.

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oldcampaigner says...
11:45am Fri 29 Jan 10

...In Scotland they look at you incredulously when you talk of tolls, they say 'We build roads, bridges and tunnel for the people by the people - why would we want to demand money for using them?'

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hugo2008 says...
2:58pm Fri 29 Jan 10

Perhaps Cllr Chris Blakeley or any of the Committee that meet to talk about the Mersey Tunnels, Can answer a Question or two.
Given that the Tunnel Crossings make a profit each and every year.
Why does it cost £300,000 pa, for the 18 committee members who meet and talk about them.
What on earth costs that much, and where do the meet, how often do they meet.
When you consider the
actual meeting location is paid for, the sandwiches are paid for, the staff that process the discussions are paid for, the postage and telephones are paid for, and the staff wages are paid for, it beggers belief.
What about paying back the rate payers who bought and paid for the whole thing to be built in the first place, I.E. the population of Merseyside.

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Merseymouth says...
4:12pm Fri 29 Jan 10

Councillor Blakeley, this figure was bandied about when that Councillor (name forgotten as he was so insignificant) crossed the floor because he was taken off the Merseytravel committee. If it is wrong then someone should have said so at the time instead of all parties making political capital of it as per usual.

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Spiffy says...
4:40pm Fri 29 Jan 10

lordthomas wrote:
found it 2008-2009
Name C Blakeley
Job Title Rail Chair
Basic Allowance 5,688.75
Special Responsibility Allowance 10,071.77
Travel & Subsistence Payments 2,181.38
Total 17,941.90
£345 per week. Expenses.
...
Tsk tsk. Most round here can not even hope to earn that (not even with overtime) in well-earned wages for a hard weeks work.

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hugo2008 says...
8:50pm Sat 30 Jan 10

Anybody know just how much Profit the tunnels make, and what happens to the profit.

Is the Mersey Tunnels a private company or is it just another Quango.

Can one buy shares in this goldmine, unique to this part of the transport system.

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ghawkins says...
12:53pm Sun 31 Jan 10

I think it is time for MerseyTravel to have its finances opened up to scrutiny, if they propose to yet again increase the tolls and can find the money for all sorts of non-tunnel related matters.

Of course the elephant in the room is the price of public transport to get through the tunnel, something which MerseyTravel have no power over.

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glenn, moreton says...
8:29pm Sun 31 Jan 10

Hugo, you can find all the information you need at www.tunnelusers.org.
uk

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hugo2008 says...
7:41pm Mon 1 Feb 10

I have looked at the information, to me it just looks like a whole bunch of Quangos all interlinked, with Chief Executives and Many Senior Managers being paid handsomely.
Plus a group of Councillors from various authorities on board raking in very good levels of expenses and allowances, to attend a few meetings. The tunnel crossings making enormous sums of money every day, but not a lot of information on who spends it all.
It is a golden source of money an unfair tax on the residents of Merseyside.

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PaulCa says...
7:52am Fri 5 Feb 10

This councillor's hefty annual expenses (£18,000) make Frank Field and Stephen Hesford's fiddling of over £4,000 each look tiny by comparison. Watch out Chris. Stephen may be after your 'job' soon :-) Of course, without the tolls, there'd be no committee - hence no expenses for any of the bums on the seats. Keep trousering the ready cash - why would you shoot the goose that lays the golden egg.

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johnbrace says...
7:22pm Mon 8 Feb 10

The article has a factual inaccuracy in it.

"Nine of them are Liberal Democrats, six Labour, and three Conservatives. The board is effectively “hung” with the Tories holding a powerful casting vote. "

This should actually read with Labour holding a powerful casting vote as the Chair of Merseytravel is Cllr Mark Dowd, a Labour councillor from Sefton.

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