Local councils could buy the M6 Toll, says transport secretary
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has paved the way for the M6 Toll to be nationalised by admitting he was not 'philosophically opposed' to the idea.
He said if the West Midlands Combined Authority – made up off all four Black Country councils plus Birmingham, Coventry, and Solihull – wanted to buy the motorway, it could, but added that there may be other infrastructure priorities.
It comes as South Staffordshire MP Gavin Williamson repeated calls for the road to be taken into public ownership.
Mr Grayling told the Express & Star: "I have no philosophical objection to the combined authority to purchase the road.
"We have to bear in mind at a time when taxpayers' money is in short supply and we want to invest in infrastructure, are we better off spending the money on taking over something that is already there or investing in a new project?
"The M6 Toll is an asset to the region but I understand why people want to buy it but there are other needs for infrastructure in the West Midlands, too."
The M6 Toll has been put up for sale by its owners with a reported price tag in excess of £1bn.
Leaders from the West Midlands Combined Authority have already mooted the idea of taking over the toll to alleviate congestion on the M6.
Mr Williamson, prior to his appointment as Chief Whip, said he had conversations with ministers to see if the road could be taken into public hands.
He said: "A new approach has to be taken to the M6 Toll, which encourages people to use it. This would involve making it accessible and cheaper for people to use, which would provide a great benefit and significantly alleviate congestion on the M6 and access onto the M5."
The 27-mile M6 Toll, from Cannock to Coleshill, is Britain's first pay-to-drive motorway. It costs £5.50 for cars and up to £11 for lorries.
A debt-restructuring process led to a consortium of 27 banks effectively taking ownership of the loss-making road from Midlands Expressway Ltd. It is now selling its equity stake.
Earlier this month, it was revealed roadworks on the M6 have helped boost takings on the M6 Toll by more than £10 million and saw an extra two million customers using it.
