12 pence …..

The cost of crossing the Manchester Ship Canal on the Warburton Toll Bridge for 159 years. Until now.

I have almost ceased using cash since the pandemic, but keep a stock of coins in the car for the rare occasion when they are really needed. One of which is crossing the Toll Bridge over the Ship Canal to reach places like Dunham Massey without taking the longer and slower journey on the motorways. The bridge is the only crossing point of the Canal between the M6 and M60.

The fee to cross is set by legislation. First of all an Act of 1863 which allowed for a fee to be charged for a “carriage to be drawn or propelled by steam or any means other than animal power” on a then new bridge built across the River Mersey. And then by the Ship Canal Act of 1890, which incorporated the provisions of the 1863 Act (the Ship Canal led to the section of the Mersey here being cut off and in time filled in so its course is hardly visible). The fee was 2 shillings and six pence, 12p in modern currency, not much now but quite a charge then.

And this year - huge controversy. The owners of the Ship Canal, the Manchester Ship Canal Company, part of the Peel Group, applied to increase the toll to £1 each way, to be able in future to increase it in line with inflation, and provisions which would allow them to introduce technology such as automatic number plate recognition so everyone doesn’t have to stop to pay 12p to a man (they’re all men so far) in a kiosk. They need to raise £65m to renovate and update the bridge, and in their view bridge users must pay for it. Local residents were outraged (saying crossing should be free), and the two local authorities either side of the Canal objected (saying MSCo/Peel should pay 60% of the cost).

Following a Public Inquiry under the Transport and General Works Act the inspector found in the Ship Canal Company’s favour this month. The bridge is in an awful rusty condition (of course the owners haven’t left it unmaintained to make a point), so I hope they now get on with a full renovation. We’ll see.

A longish blip, largely for my own interest :-) Thanks to Pinkhaired lady for hosting.