Council rejects proposed M65 toll charges

Blackburn with Darwen Council has voted to condemn a plan to put tolls on the M65.

The controversial proposal to toll the motorway, floated recently by Reform UK's councillor Joel Tetlow at Lancashire County Council (LCC), saw motorists paying anywhere from 50p to £1.50 to pass a stretch of the motorway near Burnley.

Reform has since distanced itself from this idea, which was put forward during a committee meeting looking at the £15m needed to fix flooding issues between junction 10 at Burnley and junction 14 at Colne.

Floods have caused repeated closures on the six-mile section, which is the responsibility of Lancashire County Council, while the rest is maintained by National Highways.

At a Blackburn with Darwen Council forum, councillor Damian Talbot told the council: "In moving this motion, I should note that Councillor Matchett, the Reform UK leader, requested that we withdraw the motion.

"The basis being that Reform colleagues at LCC have subsequently stated that they were not considering proposals for a toll between Junctions 10 and 14 on the M65, and that Councillor Tetlow has later said that his comments weren't serious."

The Labour councillor said that this request had been considered, but that he believed it should still be discussed so that the authority can highlight the worsening congestion on the arterial route and its impact on residents and the local economy.

"The case for investment could not be clearer," Talbot said of the £15m required to fix the drainage issues, adding: "But I would say that introducing tolls certainly would not help and would without a doubt increase traffic on the wider network."

Talbot also stated why it was important to make the authority's position on tolls clear, ahead of a major shake-up, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Although now paused, the local government reorganisation scheme would have seen Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn, Rossendale, Burnley, and Pendle councils rolled into one "Pennine Lancashire" authority – which would assume responsibility for the motorway from then-defunct LCC.

"In the event of local government reorganisation, it is perfectly possible that we will be part of a council responsible for the section of the motorway in question… So we say now this council should make clear its opposition to any tolls on the M65 and to making people and motorists in East Lancashire pay extra to get around in our area," he added.

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