Halton Borough Council (“Applicant”) of Municipal Building, Kingsway, Widnes, WA8 7QF has applied to the Secretary of State for Transport under section 6 of the Transport and Works Act 1992 for the proposed Order under section 3 of that Act (“Application”).

The proposed Order would, if made, modify the River Mersey (Mersey Gateway Bridge) Order 2011 (“2011 Order”).

The Order applies the Road User Charging Schemes (Penalty Charges, Adjudication and Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2013 (“Enforcement Regulations”) to tolls collected by the Applicant under the 2011 Order using an ‘open road’ (not barrier) charging system. The Order also permits tolls and charges to be imposed by the Applicant for use of the Silver Jubilee Bridge and Mersey Gateway Bridge through a charging scheme made by order under Part 3 of the Transport Act 2000 (i.e. by making a “road user charging order”) and extends the powers available to the Applicant in making a road user charging order to include powers available under the 2011 Order. If no road user charging order is in effect, the Order permits the Applicant to impose tolls and charges for use of the Mersey Gateway Bridge under the 2011 Order relying on powers in the Enforcement Regulations.

The proposed Order does not authorise the construction of works.

The Application is not to be made subject to an environmental impact assessment.

Any objections to, or other representations about, the proposals in the Application should be sent to the Secretary of State for Transport c/o TWA Orders Unit, General Counsel’s Office, Department for Transport, Zone 1/18, Great Minster House, 33 Horseferry Road, London, SW1P 4DR or email: transportandworksact@dft.gsi.gov.uk. An objection or other representation MUST (i) be received by the Secretary of State on or before 14th May 2015, (ii) be made in writing (whether sent by post or email), (iii) state the grounds of the objection or other representation, (iv) indicate who is making the objection or other representation, and (v) give an address to which correspondence relating to the objection or other representation may be sent. (If you are sending your objection or other representation by email, please provide a postal address.)

The Secretary of State may make complete copies of the objections and other representations public, including any personal information contained in them, and will copy them to the Applicant.

All requests for further information, notices or other documents relating to the Application should be addressed to the undersigned.

Signed: DLA Piper UK LLP, 3 Noble Street, London EC2V 7EE (Solicitors acting on behalf of Halton Borough Council).

Date: 1st April 2015