1996-08-22 From Sir George Young Secretary of State for Transport commenting on the RMT's announcement to call off the tube strike action. (Department of Transport)

1996-08-22 The transport strike London travel to work arrangements Friday 23 and Tuesday 27 August (Department of Transport)

_______________________________________________________________

date 12 September 1996
source Department of Transport
type Press release

note 282

Local Transport Minister John Watts today announced that a public
inquiry will be held early next year into proposals to build a #165
million extension to the proposed Leeds Supertram.

The extension, which would run between Headingley, the City Centre
and Seacroft in the City of Leeds, has been proposed by West
Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (West Yorkshire PTE) and
Leeds City Council.

A large number of objections has been received to the application by
the City Council and the PTE for an order under the Transport and
Works Act 1992, proposing the extension.

Where an application is opposed in this way it may be referred to a
public local inquiry. This process will give the applicants and
objectors the opportunity to present evidence and fully expand on the
points they have made.

The inquiry will be conducted by an independent Inspector who will
make a report to the Secretary of State on whether the order should
be made.

The Secretary of State will then consider the Inspector's report and
he is expected to make his decision by early 1998.

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. Part I of the Transport and Works Act 1992, which came into force
in January 1993, established a new system for considering and
approving railway, tramway and other development schemes that had
previously been subject to Parliamentary private Bill procedure.
These procedures mean that such schemes can be authorised by
Ministerial order instead of by a private Act of Parliament.

2. The proposed extension to the Leeds Supertram scheme was the
subject of an application for an order under the Transport and Works
Act 1992 by Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Passenger Transport
Executive on 4 July 1996.

3. The proposed extension consists of a 16.2km long twin track tram
system and associated station stops. The extension will commence
from a Park and Ride site at Bodington beyond the Outer Ring Road in
north west Leeds and run through Headingley to the City Centre. It
will continue east from the City Centre via Harehills, Fforde Grene
and Seacroft to a Park and Ride site outside the Outer Ring Road at
Grimes Dyke. The extension will run primarily within the boundaries
of existing highways.

4. The extension includes streetworks along and adjacent to the
route, including the placing of equipment in streets, and the
permanent and temporary stopping up of specified streets. If the
extension were to be approved, funding would be sought from several
sources, including contributions from the private sector.
Construction of the extension would extend over a period of four
years.

5. In the City Centre, the extension will connect in two places with
the South Leeds line to form a loop and allow travel between north,
east and south Leeds. The South Leeds Line received Royal Assent in
1993.

6. The procedures for inquiries are set out in the Transport and
Works (Inquiries Procedure) Rules 1992 (SI 1992 No. 2817). The Rules
provide a timetable for the pre-inquiry stages and require those who
wish to present oral evidence to the inquiry to make available
details of their evidence to other parties to the inquiry before it
opens.

7. The location of the inquiry and when it will open will be
announced later in the year after an Inspector has been appointed.
The Inspector is likely to hold a pre-inquiry meeting to explain the
arrangements for the inquiry. If so, principal parties will be
notified when this will take place.

8. Details of the project can be obtained from Leeds Supertram,
Metro, 40-50 Wellington Street, Leeds LS1 2DE or the Parliamentary
Agents, Messrs Sherwood & Co, 35 Great Peter Street, Westminster,
London SW1P 3LR.


# = pounds sterling

Railhub Archive ::: 1996-09-12 DoT-001