Demand for transparency in debt debate over Humber Bridge

Malcolm Scott proposes spending £100m to purchase the Humber Bridge’s £330m paper debt and break the stranglehold of ever increasing tolls on the local economy. His plan, revealed in February, would see tolls drop to £1 after eight years spent paying off the £100m.

But his bid now faces a challenge after the Humber Bridge Board made a last minute submission to the Treasury, offering a £100m buyout and proposing cutting tolls from £2.70 to £2.50 from April next year and to £1.50 by 2020.

Mr Scott, whose submission includes concessions for bus companies and free travel for those with NHS appointments, said he regarded what had happened as a success. He said: “Think back six months and this would never have happened.

“I have been open from day one and our bid to the Department of Transport is on our website. If they want to be accountable they should let us see what they are proposing.”

Board chairman Dave Gemmell claimed the bid was a public document, even if it was not published on the internet.

If successful the Board will shrink, but still constitute mainly councillors, with two business representatives. In contrast Mr Scott’s plan envisages the bridge run by a social enterprise, with a board made up of six public and voluntary sector representatives and four from the private sector.