Trafford Centre developer Peel Holdings has pledged funding totalling £16m towards the insertion of a £60m fast tram extension to the Trafford Centre, the £600m regional shopping centre scheduled for opening in September this year.
The Greater Manchester Public Transport Executive has historically been reluctant to extend any public funding of a line out to the Trafford Centre. In a move to ensure the link gets the planning go-ahead, Peel has now offered a further £12m funding for the line in addition to the £4m it had previously offered.
Trafford Centre managing director Mike Butterworth said: “The whole package is dependent on various planning permissions for a number of development schemes we have. If they are refused, the whole package collapses.” These include projects at Giant’s Field and the Barton power station site, both in Trafford Park.
With the monies deriving indirectly from these schemes, together with the concessionary value of the line, and now with Peel’s extra £12m available, Butterworth says the figures add up sufficiently for the full funding of the line.
Though there may be as much as a year’s gap between the Trafford Centre opening and the insertion of the tram link, Butterworth sees the line as essential for the long term growth of the Centre, which is intended as a major leisure destination as well as a regional shopping venue, not least because of the possible presence of the royal yacht Britannia next to the Centre.
EGi News 03/03/98
