Mersey Gateway and Silver Jubilee Bridge toll charges consultation gets underway
A consultation around proposed changes to toll charges and scheme details on the Mersey Gateway and Silver Jubilee bridges gets underway today (Monday 4 November) and will last for six weeks.
Anyone can participate by visiting www.merseygateway.co.uk/consultation2024, where Halton Borough Council and the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board (MGCB) have published detailed consultation information, including a new draft Road User Charging Scheme Order.
Emails or letters are being sent to all vehicle owners who are registered as users of the bridges with toll operator merseyflow over the next few weeks, and consultation feedback forms are also available at Halton Direct Links in Widnes and Runcorn and at the merseyflow Walk-In Centre at Manor Park in Runcorn.
The consultation lasts until Monday 16 December. Once it is complete, the feedback will then be considered, alongside the financial requirements of the project, at a full meeting of Halton Borough Council early in 2025, where a decision on any charges will be made.
The proposed changes, which could take place from 1 April 2025, include:
- An increase in toll charges by approximately 20%
- An increase of £2 in the annual cost of a Local User Discount Scheme plan for those not using auto renewal
- An increase in Penalty Charge Notices from £40 to £50
The proposed increase would:
- be the first in seven and a half years since the Mersey Gateway Bridge opened
- mean toll charges have increased by less than the cumulative RPI inflation rate – which has already reached 40% – since the Mersey Gateway Bridge opened in 2017.
The consultation also sets out and asks for views on a proposed timetable for future changes to toll charges and asks for feedback on what incentives would encourage people to open an account with tolling operator merseyflow.
In order to fund the project over its lifetime, it was always expected that toll charges would need to increase annually in line with inflation, but Halton Borough Council has been able to defer annual increases to minimise costs to motorists.
The MGCB’s recommendations set out a forward-looking plan where, if toll charges are increased by around 20% next April, then, barring unforeseen circumstances, they will remain at that level for three years. This would mean that by April 2028, toll charges would have increased just once in the first 11 years of the project.
Customers registered with toll operator merseyflow would continue to get discounted crossings where they are eligible as set out below:
- Registered pre-pay customers and monthly pass holders – specific discounted prices have not yet been finalised, but it is anticipated they would also increase by around 20%. This would mean a toll charge of £2.16 for sticker registered Class 2 vehicles compared to £2.40 for unregistered Class 2 vehicles.
- Local User Discount Scheme plan holders – the cost of a LUDS plan would increase by £2. However, there is a proposal for a discount to £10 for those eligible Halton residents who renew via auto renewal.
- Penalty Charge Notices – it is proposed that PCNs would increase from £40 to £50 in line with the toll charge increase.
Mike Bennett, Managing Director of the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board, said: “As part of this consultation we’re asking for people’s views on a range of issues like how often toll charges should change in the future and the proposed adjustments to the Local User Discount Scheme and PCN fees, as well as the headline changes in toll charges.”
He added: “This is an opportunity for people to contribute their views to inform the decision-making process in these areas. However, we are not consulting on the principle of toll charges. This was settled at the public inquiry held for the Mersey Gateway Project in 2009 and since then has been incorporated into the legal documentation for the tolling system.”
Mersey Gateway and Silver Jubilee Bridge toll charges consultation approved by Halton Borough Council
Halton Borough Council has today (Thursday 24 October) approved plans to consult on an increase in toll charges on the Mersey Gateway and Silver Jubilee bridges from April 2025.
Whilst approving the overall consultation around toll charges, Halton Council’s Executive Board has also decided that there will be no changes to the Blue Badge holder scheme.
The consultation will start in November 2024 and will last for six weeks.
The recommended increase would:
- be the first in seven and a half years since the Mersey Gateway Bridge opened
- raise the unregistered toll charge for all vehicle categories by around 20%
- increase the toll charge for unregistered cars from £2 to £2.40
- mean toll charges have increased by less than the cumulative RPI inflation rate since the bridge opened – which has already reached 40%.
Proposed unregistered toll charges from April 2025
In order to fund the project over its lifetime, it was always expected that toll charges would need to increase annually in line with inflation, but Halton Borough Council has been able to defer annual increases to minimise costs to motorists.
The MGCB’s recommendations set out a forward-looking plan where, if toll charges are increased by around 20% next April, then, barring unforeseen circumstances, they will remain at that level for three years. This would mean that by April 2028, toll charges would have increased just once in the first 11 years of the project.
Customers registered with toll operator merseyflow would continue to get discounted crossings where they are eligible as set out below:
- Registered pre-pay customers and monthly pass holders – specific discounted prices have not yet been finalised, but it is anticipated they would also increase by around 20%. This would mean a toll charge of £2.16 for sticker registered Class 2 vehicles compared to £2.40 for unregistered Class 2 vehicles.
- Local User Discount Scheme plan holders – the cost of a LUDS plan would increase by £2. However, there is a proposal for a discount to £10 for those eligible Halton residents who renew via auto renewal.
- Penalty Charge Notices – it is proposed that PCNs would increase from £40 to £50 in line with the toll charge increase.
Mersey Gateway and Silver Jubilee Bridge toll charges could be set to rise for first time in over seven years
Toll charges on the Mersey Gateway and Silver Jubilee Bridges could be set to rise in April 2025 under recommendations submitted to Halton Borough Council’s Executive Board this week by the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board (MGCB)*.
The recommended increase would:
- be the first in seven and a half years since the Mersey Gateway Bridge opened
- raise the unregistered toll charge for all vehicle categories by around 20%
- increase the toll charge for unregistered cars from £2 to £2.40
- mean toll charges have increased by less than the cumulative RPI inflation rate since the bridge opened – which has already reached 40%.
Proposed unregistered toll charges from April 2025
In order to fund the project over its lifetime, it was always expected that toll charges would need to increase annually in line with inflation, but Halton Borough Council has been able to defer annual increases to minimise costs to motorists.
The MGCB’s recommendations set out a forward-looking plan where, if toll charges are increased by around 20% next April, then, barring unforeseen circumstances, they will remain at that level for three years. This would mean that by April 2028, toll charges would have increased just once in the first 11 years of the project.
Customers registered with toll operator merseyflow would continue to get discounted crossings where they are eligible as set out below:
- Registered pre-pay customers and monthly pass holders – specific discounted prices have not yet been finalised, but it is anticipated they would also increase by around 20%. This would mean a toll charge of £2.16 for sticker registered Class 2 vehicles compared to £2.40 for unregistered Class 2 vehicles.
- Local User Discount Scheme plan holders – the cost othe cost of a LUDS plan would increase by £2. However, there is a proposal for a discount to £10 for those eligible Halton residents who renew via auto renewal.
- Blue Badge holders – there is a proposed change to the Blue Badge scheme. This would see the current arrangement replaced by a scheme where vehicles that are registered in the Disabled Taxation class and are fully exempt from vehicle tax, would be able to cross for free without any registration requirement. This is a simpler approach widely used on other tolled routes across England. (UPDATE: The proposed change to the Blue Badge scheme was rejected by Halton Borough Council’s Executive Board on 24 October 2024, so this is no longer part of the consultation).
- Penalty Charge Notices – it is proposed that PCNs increase from £40 to £50 in line with the toll charge increase.
If plans are given the go-ahead to move forward by Halton Borough Council’s Executive Board, there will be a consultation starting in November around these proposals and the adoption of an updated Road User Charging Scheme Order (RUCSO), which is the legal document that sets out the toll charges.
Government grants form a critical part of the Mersey Gateway funding package
The majority of funding for the Mersey Gateway Project has and will continue to come from toll charges paid by people who use the bridges. The remainder comes from the Department for Transport (DfT), which provides tens of millions of pounds of funding for the project every year. Without this subsidy from Government, the project would make a significant annual loss.
The Executive Board report details the government grants issued to the Council over the first five and a half years of operating the project and the amount of unused grant that has now been returned to the DfT.
Halton Borough Council is repaying unused grant back to the DfT because it receives this grant funding in advance based on an agreed estimate. Once the actual revenue and expenditure is known each financial year, then the amount of grant that is required is calculated, and any unused grant is then returned to the DfT at the relevant review period.
This unused grant cannot be used to offset the increase in tolls as it belongs to the DfT.
- In total, the DfT provided operating grants of £138 million to the project from October 2017 to March 2023.
- £85.35 million of this DfT grant was used to help fund the project.
- In line with original funding agreement,
- £44.75 million, representing 85% of the unused grant, has now been returned to the DfT, and
- the remaining £7.9million, representing 15% of unused grant, has been retained by Halton Council to contribute towards the operation, maintenance and improvement of the Silver Jubilee Bridge and any public transport initiatives in the Council’s Local Transport Plan.
More information is available at www.merseygateway.co.uk/finances.
Mike Bennett, Managing Director of the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board, said “The whole council team is pleased that we’ve been able to keep toll charges the same for over seven years, as well as providing discounts for eligible Halton residents and regular users of the bridges. I would urge anyone who uses the bridge in Halton regularly to register with merseyflow as that is the only way to get discounts on your crossings and it makes managing your payments so much easier.”
Cllr Stef Nelson, Halton Borough Council’s portfolio holder for Environment and Urban Renewal, said: “We always knew that we would need to adjust tolls for inflation to meet the costs of maintaining and operating the bridges. The recommendations from the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board set out a sustainable approach to doing that.”
He added: “In terms of the retained grant funding, this isn’t a surprise or a sudden windfall. It is the funding mechanism for the project working exactly as all parties involved expected it to. It has been part of the Council’s budget planning process over the past couple of years, and it has allowed Halton Council to continue to fund essential public transport services.”
*The Mersey Gateway Crossings Board is a special purpose vehicle established by Halton Borough Council with the delegated authority to deliver the Mersey Gateway Bridge Project. It operates as a commercial (though not-for-profit) organisation on an arm’s length basis.
Halton Haven Hospice benefits from Mersey Gateway Time Bank initiative
The innovative support scheme developed as part of the Mersey Gateway Project is back boosting local community charities in Halton.
Halton Haven Hospice is one of the organisations that has benefitted from the 2024 Mersey Gateway Time Bank initiative. It has received support to give its Memory Garden some much-needed TLC with weeding and cleaning as well as help with sprucing up areas around the hospice with a new coat of paint. Time Bank is a way for Merseylink and Merseyflow to demonstrate their commitment to the local area and provide help and support to various charities and community groups in Halton.
The scheme offers a commitment of time, expertise and resources from Merseylink and Merseyflow staff. Applicants benefit from ‘deposits’ of time and resources, which can then be used to provide long-lasting benefits to community life in Halton. Tina Gill, Fundraising Manager at Halton Haven Hospice said: “We’re incredibly grateful for all of the project volunteers who have given up their time to help give our Memory Garden some much-needed TLC and spruce up the hospice with a fresh lick of paint. We would like to thank the Mersey Gateway team for all they have done for us through the Time Bank initiative.”Karen Atherton, Merseylink Network Steward and Time Bank Lead, said: “Time Bank is designed to provide long-term benefits to the people of Halton and we are delighted to support Halton Haven Hospice this year. We look forward to welcoming even more projects on board in the new year.” Emma Newton, Head of HR & Compliance of merseyflow, said: “We are proud to support the work of Halton Haven Hospice through the Time Bank initiative. This is a great opportunity for us to engage with the local community and other volunteers, to help those in need in the area.”
Time Bank has already gifted over 20,000 hours of support locally across a variety of projects in Runcorn and Widnes since 2014.
Lane Closures Removed
Works to the expansion joints on the northbound approach to the Mersey Gateway Bridge have now been completed and all lane closures have been removed.