Cost of Mersey Gateway land acquisition could be born by Halton Council tax payers

Apr 30 2009 by Mark Smith, Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News

THE FULL cost of re-locating businesses to make way for the Mersey Gateway Project could be borne by council tax payers.

Project chiefs revealed that although the Government has allocated funds to pay for the necessary land acquisition, the money will be made available only if the project is given the green light at the forthcoming public inquiry.

However, the council has already spent money from its own coffers to move businesses and buy up land.

And the authority faces the prospect of being stung with the bill if the inquiry finds against the £431m bridge scheme.

A Mersey Gateway spokesman would not reveal how much had already been spent – saying the figure was ‘commercially sensitive’.

However, in a council document discussed by the ruling executive board in November last year, it was stated that the authority’s current capital expenditure programme was ‘dominated’ by the scheme.

The spokesman said: “The council cannot discuss the details of negotiations but we must stress that we do have a duty to protect council tax payers’ money.

“And any offers that are made will be based on independent land valuations.

“In the event that the project does not go ahead the land already acquired can be sold by the council to recover the costs of its acquisition.”

Approximately 70 businesses have been served with compulsory purchase orders to make way for the bridge.

Bosses said 40 have so far objected, but that they hope the number would reduce to 10 by the time the inquiry begins on May 19.