COUNCILLORS have hit out at plans for a 100 per cent increase in charges to cross Whitchurch toll bridge.
The Whitchurch Bridge Company wants to increase the tolls for cars from 20p to 40p from July next year.
The increase would help the company pay for the £3 million reconstruction of the Grade II-listed bridge, planned for 2013.
Matilda Oppenheimer, chairman of Whitchurch Parish Council, said: “An increase in the cash toll will represent a four-fold increase over four years, from 10p to 40p. That is plainly unacceptable.
The company funds all of its operations on the bridge through its tolls, meaning an increase is needed to cover the cost of rebuilding the 106-year-old structure.
The higher toll would supply 80 per cent of the funds needed, while the company would have to borrow the remaining 20 per cent.
Mrs Oppenheimer said: “Many in the village feel that the funding should have a larger element of loan, paid back by using the bridge profits over a longer term rather than at the expense of the local community in the next five years.”
She said the council was seeking the views of parishioners before it decided on what action to take.
Geoff Weir, company secretary for the Whitchurch Bridge Company, said: “I understand completely that it’s an emotive issue for people — they don’t want to see their costs increase. All that we ask is that people understand why it is being done.”
The company has £1.4 million set aside for the reconstruction, just £300,000 more than in 2005, when the tolls increased from 10p to 20p.
Mr Weir said rising building costs, coupled with inflation and less traffic over the bridge, meant a higher toll was needed.
He said: “The £3 million cost is by today’s prices. We can expect that to rise even further. However, we don’t expect the tolls to rise any further than 40p.
“We can’t borrow any more than 20 per cent simply because if you borrow too much it will cost too much in interest.”
The company is working on the advice of Oxfordshire County Council’s bridge department, which said the structure must be replaced by 2015.
Regular bridge users use the card discount system, with a reduced price of 12.5 pence per crossing. This will increase to 13.9 pence in February.
Mr Weir said that provided the proposed 40p regular toll was approved, it should not go up again.
The company will submit a toll increase application to Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon and residents will have six weeks to submit objections. A high number of complaints could lead to a public inquiry.
Once the application has been made, an item will appear in the Henley Standard with the Department of Transport’s contact details.
Published on 03 November 2008
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