PEOPLE living in Runcorn and Widnes will have substantial discounts on toll charges, councillors insisted last night.

Campaigners have called for plans to introduce charges on the second bridge to be scrapped after the Government gave the project the go-ahead.

Mersey Tunnels Users said charging drivers was grossly un-fair and criticised proposals to reduce the number of lanes on the Silver Jubilee Bridge to two.

John McGoldrick, secretary of the lobby group, said: 'Most people would welcome a new

Mersey crossing - but no-one wants it to be tolled.

'The existing four-lane free bridge carries more traffic than the eight tolled lanes of the Mersey tunnels.

'It has already been revealed

that if they build a tolled bridge, they will put a toll on the existing Runcorn-Widnes Bridge and reduce the lanes to two. This makes no sense and is grossly unfair to local people and businesses.

'Road users contribute £50bn a year in taxes. They should not have to bear the burden and nuisance of tolls.'

Halton Borough Council leader Tony McDermott insisted tolls were the only way.

He said: 'If we were saying to Government that there would not be any money raised through tolls then it would be a very short conversation.

'It is very much a price worth paying and there will be big discounts for residents.

'It is the only way we will get the bridge and that is the most important thing.' 'Bridge of prosperity' welcomed

BUSINESS leaders and politicians have greeted Government backing for the Mersey Gateway as one of the most important announcements for the region in the last decade.

Campaignershaverelentlessly lobbied ministers for permission to build the crossing to help ease traffic pressure on the Runcorn-Widnes Bridge.

TheGateway isalsoexpectedto have a massive economic impact on Merseyside, generating an extra £80m a year, creating at least 3,350jobs andmakingtheregion a more attractive business base.

Transport Secretary Alistair Darling approved the plans for entryintoWhitehall'sprogramme of major schemes and agreed Government funding of £209m.

Although the project still has a long way to go, the announcment is a major hurdle cleared and means theGovernmenthasfinally committed itself to the scheme.

Cllr Tony McDermott thanked all the local authorities and organisations that have supported the bid over the years.

He added: 'This is a real landmark day for Halton and for the whole Liverpool city region.

'We have been campaigning long and hard for this day.

'Itisour bridgetoprosperityand we will not stop until we deliver this spectacular piece of urban architecture on the ground.'

Halton MP Derek Twigg said:

'This is fantastic news, not just for Halton but for the North West as a whole.

'Many people, including myself, have fought long and hard for a new bridge and this announcement is a dream come true.

'The Mersey Gateway will place Halton in a position of great strategic importance in the region.'

Weaver Vale MP Mike Hall said: 'This decision is great news. Everyone involved must continue to work hard to deliver the new Mersey Gateway.'

The tolled Mersey Gateway would run from the central expressway in Runcorn to the Eastern Bypass in Widnes, about a mile and a quarter to the east of the Silver Jubilee Bridge.

The Government will hand over £86m, which will be used to fund the planning application, land acquisitions and procurement process.

The rest of the money will be made up from £123m in promised Private Finance Initiative credits and fees from tolls.

Roy Morris, chairman of The Merseyside Partnership, has lobbied the Secretary of State, politicians and rallied the private sector in a bid to win support for the plans.

He said: 'This is fantastic news. A new Mersey Gateway bridge is of massive strategic importance to the performance and expansion of the North West economy,

with its significance reaching far beyond Widnes and Runcorn.'

Halton council officers have already been in talks with companies aboutbuildingthebridge and will go out to tender in the next two years. Only a handful of firms worldwide are believed to be experienced and large enough to be involved.

The next big stage of the scheme will be the public inquiry but the Environment Agency has advised the council there should not be any major environmental stumbling blocks.

A planning application for the scheme is expected next autumn with a decision made by the end of the year.

Peter Fahy, chief constable of Cheshire Constabulary, is a keen supporter of the second crossing campaign.

Speaking on Tuesday, during the one-day strike by public sector workers, Mr Fahy said: 'This is excellent news. On a day like today it shows how vital this crossing is.'

THE cost of building the MerseyGateway has been revised from the original £335m to £305m.

This includes all the construction and the cost of acquiring the land and decontamination works.

It does not include annual maintenance and operating costs. The funding agreement with the Government allows for inflation up to the proposed construction period.

The Department of Transport has agreed an £86m grant to acquire landand carry out decontamination workwhile PFI credits of £123m will be usedto fund performance-related annualpayments to the developers tosupplement the toll revenue collected.

There will almost certainly be a publicinquiry into the new crossing before the Secretary of State for Transport can give final approval. The scheme will allow bids from the private sectorto build and operate the new bridge.

nSOG Ltd - the manager and operatorof-The Heath Business and Technical Park - praised Halton's effort to make the Mersey Gateway project a reality.

Marketing director John Lewis said:'-The campaign for a second Merseycrossing has involved an enormous community effort that has united many people in calling for this vitally important link. We congratulate all of those people for their determined efforts in achieving this great success.

'We see this announcement as thebeginning of an exciting period forHalton. This area is really going placesand contains many of the country's most innovative and forward-thinking companies. The second crossing can only help in further strengthening theHalton business community.

'The Heath, established as a businesspark five years ago, has attracted manyBritish and international companies.