NET Gets First Green Light From Government

Greater Nottingham’s tram network has received a boost following today's announcement by the Government that it will agree to a multi-million pound funding package with the scheme’s promoters, Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council.

Today's announcement means around £400 million could now be invested in the NET Phase Two extensions to the existing NET system.

NET Phase Two will extend the network to serve areas to the south and west of Nottingham, doubling the number of stops and the size of the existing tram fleet.

Councillor John Taylor, Chair of the NET Development Board, said: "This announcement is hugely significant for Nottingham, and I’m absolutely thrilled that the Government has endorsed the case we put to them for more tram lines as well as backing it up with funding.

“We’ve always said a network was needed now we have the exciting prospect of making it a reality."

“It means that the government agrees that NET Phase Two represents value for money and is the best solution for Greater Nottingham’s transport needs."

"We wish to thank many of Nottingham’s business leaders and residents who have supported us in lobbying Government decision makers to back NET Phase Two and ask for their continued support as we take the scheme through the rest of the approval process.”

The multi-million pound agreement, announced by the Government today, means that NET Phase Two has been recognised as a viable proposal and given the green light to move forward.

But there are still many challenges ahead. The Promoters for the scheme must still gain the planning powers to build the extensions and must also gain further government approvals.

The next steps, which are likely to take place early in the New Year, will be for the City and County Councils to both confirm the NET Phase Two proposals by approving for an application for a Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO) to be submitted to the Department for Transport.

The TWAO application will request the Government to provide the Promoters with the planning powers to build and operate NET Phase Two. Submitting the application for the TWAO will trigger a Public Inquiry which would take place towards the end of 2007.

Based on the conclusion of the Public Inquiry the Secretary of State for Transport will make a decision whether or not to grant the TWAO planning powers.

Alongside the Public Inquiry the team behind NET Phase Two will also have to submit detailed construction design information to the Department for Transport and provide details of the procurement costs to build the scheme.

If the TWAO is granted, and the construction design and procurement costs are approved by government, construction could start in early 2010 with trams running by 2013.

For more information about NET Phase Two and the latest updates, visit www.netphasetwo.com.

Read the City Council's special issue of Notice Nottingham (84kb, PDF)

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View/download a larger NET Phase Two Map (PDF,55kb)

Please note: map is not drawn to scale.