Proposed by Councillor Chris Blakeley

Seconded by Councillor Les Rowlands

(1)  This Council notes with disappointment the decision made by the controlling Labour Group on the Merseyside Integrated Transport Authority to end immediately, without further reports, or the results of any business case study the opportunity to take local control of the Merseyrail Electrics network from Network Rail.

(2)  Council notes that this process has been ongoing for many years, and that in 2005/06 a business case for Full Local Decision Making (FLDM) was prepared and submitted showing clear benefits for Merseyside. This was endorsed by the Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority and was a Key Policy in Local Transport Plan Two (LTP2). 

(3)  Council further notes that FLDM was relaunched as Localism for Merseyrail (LFM) in 2010 and that the imperative for greater local control over the network infrastructure remains and the commitment to developing the case for this was reiterated in Local Transport Plan Three (LTP3).

(4)  Council also notes that LFM has the support of the Department for Transport (DfT), Network Rail, Office of the Rail Regulator (ORR) and the Rail Freight Industry.  

(5)  Council believes that a fully integrated Merseyrail network would be in the best interests of Merseyside’s commuters and would enable local people and rail customers to have greater say in the decisions taken affecting the rail network in Merseyside.

Council therefore requests:

(1)  That the Chief Executive writes to the Chief Executive and Director General of Merseytravel, Neil Scales, and to the Chairman of the Merseyside Integrated Transport Authority (MITA), expressing our Council’s disappointment at the decision made at the Authority’s meeting on 27th June, 2011.

(2)  That MITA reverse the decision made at its meeting of the 27th June and ask that Merseytravel Passenger Transport Executive (MPTE) commission a Business Case Study to determine benefits and risks of LFM. The results of that study are considered by a future MITA Authority meeting before a final decision is made on whether to move this matter forward to the next stage.

Amendment submitted in accordance with Standing Order 7(2):

Proposed by Councillor Ron Abbey

Seconded by Councillor John Salter

Replace all the motion with:

(1)  The Council notes that the Chair of Merseyside Integrated Transport Authority, Councillor Mark Dowd, raised concerns about the validity of Virtual Integration via a letter dated 10th September 2010 which was published in November 2010 in a Modern Railways publication.

(2)  In the context of this letter, which pointed out problems specific to Merseyside, including the constant problems caused by closeness to the River Mersey, and in the light of the McNulty report of June 2011 which called for a 30% reduction in rail funding and the relaxation of Health and Safety at Work regulations, Council recognises that it would have been imprudent to spend a further £1.1m on a business study after £1.5m had already been paid for a previous report.

Having applied the guillotine in accordance with Standing Order 7(8) the Council did not debate this matter.

The amendment was put and lost (28:36) (One abstention).

The motion was put and carried (36:28) (One abstention).

Resolved (36:28) (One abstention) -

(1)  This Council notes with disappointment the decision made by the controlling Labour Group on the Merseyside Integrated Transport Authority to end immediately, without further reports, or the results of any business case study the opportunity to take local control of the Merseyrail Electrics network from Network Rail.

(2)  Council notes that this process has been ongoing for many years, and that in 2005/06 a business case for Full Local Decision Making (FLDM) was prepared and submitted showing clear benefits for Merseyside. This was endorsed by the Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority and was a Key Policy in Local Transport Plan Two (LTP2). 

(3)  Council further notes that FLDM was relaunched as Localism for Merseyrail (LFM) in 2010 and that the imperative for greater local control over the network infrastructure remains and the commitment to developing the case for this was reiterated in Local Transport Plan Three (LTP3).

(4)  Council also notes that LFM has the support of the Department for Transport (DfT), Network Rail, Office of the Rail Regulator (ORR) and the Rail Freight Industry.  

(5)  Council believes that a fully integrated Merseyrail network would be in the best interests of Merseyside’s commuters and would enable local people and rail customers to have greater say in the decisions taken affecting the rail network in Merseyside.

Council therefore requests:

(1)  That the Chief Executive writes to the Chief Executive and Director General of Merseytravel, Neil Scales, and to the Chairman of the Merseyside Integrated Transport Authority (MITA), expressing our Council’s disappointment at the decision made at the Authority’s meeting on 27th June, 2011.

(2)  That MITA reverse the decision made at its meeting of the 27th June and ask that Merseytravel Passenger Transport Executive (MPTE) commission a Business Case Study to determine benefits and risks of LFM. The results of that study are considered by a future MITA Authority meeting before a final decision is made on whether to move this matter forward to the next stage.