FULL REPORT AND COMMENT ON THE MEETING ON CONFIDENTIAL - Monday 24 June
THE recent proposals for the Oxford Road and Princess Street areas of Manchester have raised concerns amongst many businesses, residents and city centre users, about how people will be able to circulate easily around the city centre.
Have assessments been made of the impact on city centre businesses, and on tourismy?
People are particularly worried it is becoming harder to access premises by private vehicles, including private hire cab firms.
There is also a great deal of disquiet over the early evening on-street parking fees, the narrowing of Deansgate and the closure of Victoria Street.
A number of questions need answering.
To start with, what is the overall transport strategy for Manchester city centre?
Is the goal of the city council and Transport for Greater Manchester to exclude private vehicles and private hire firms from the city centre, or parts of the city centre, altogether over time? Do we have the public transport to cover such changes?
How will people away from public transport routes, or the elderly and disabled, for whom two or three changes from bus to train to tram might be too much, access the amenities of the city centre? When the second city centre Metrolink line is routed down Princess Street adjacent to the Town Hall, how will vehicles be able to get from east to west and vice versa through the city centre?
Have assessments been made of the impact on city centre businesses, and on tourism?
MCR panorama
To answer these questions Cllr Nigel Murphy, Executive Member of Manchester City Council and Cllr Andrew Fender, Chair of the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee, and other guests such as city centre councillor Joan Davies, will be debating and discussing the issue on Wednesday 19 June at 7.30pm in the Yang Sing.
If you wish to take part in this vital debate and find out what is planned for the city centre - the main driver of the regional economy - and its transport strategy and what businesses, residents and other interested parties can do to influence policy, fill in the form below and return to us. There are 200 places available so get back to us immediately to avoid disappointment.
The meeting has been organised by Manchester Confidential together with its partners in Manchester city centre, businesses, residents and representatives from areas such as Chinatown and elsewhere. You can read about the bus strategy here.
