C-Charge consultation begins - commercial mortgages

07 July 2008

A public consultation has been launched about controversial plans to introduce a new congestion charge system in Manchester.

The 14-week consultation by the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) will examine plans to charge commuters around £5 per day to enter central Manchester.

A total of 1.2 million homes and businesses in the Manchester area will receive colour brochures as part of the consultation that outline the proposed congestion charge scheme.

Firms will be watching carefully to ascertain the potential effects of road pricing on their business and on commercial mortgages within the congestion charge zone.

AGMA has organised 46 public exhibitions across the north-west region running from now until the end of September to gauge public responses to the congestion charge proposals.

Full details of the road charging plans have now been unveiled and the scheme is expected to cost more than £300 million to set up, while Manchester will receive £3 billion in government funding to improve its public transport systems.

A group of businesses, called United City, has backed the congestion charge claiming that it will provide huge benefits to the region through public transport investment, the Leigh Journal reports.