Tram network for our city – is it realistic?

The 15,000-home development of a so-called eco-town in Leicestershire countryside is controversial – and rightly so. Many opponents argue there is a huge contradiction in plans for a town extolling the virtues of environmental protection and then pouring concrete over huge areas of beautiful countryside.

So, one way to try to stifle those protests is to give the public – and politicians – something they want.

What about a £300 million shiny, new tram system as a symbol of regenerated Leicester emerging into the big league of cities?

It is simple to fund as well. The eco-town developers, the Co-op, hand over £40 million, the Government £225 million, and the city council would then have to find just £35 million.

You then have a tram system from this new town, Pennbury, into the city centre. It gets even better, because for just £100 million more, the system could be extended to Wigston and then Oadby.

And a further extension could be built from the city centre terminus, in Charles Street, out along the A6 towards Loughborough.

It sounds great – and it would be – but the bill for a tram system that would serve just two routes into the city is already about £500 million.

There are many who regard even that figure as a wild underestimate of the likely cost. This plan, of course, also requires the Government putting up most of the cost. Funding for tram networks in other cities have been turned down by the Government – the money is not handed out lightly.

The tram option is exciting, but is it realistic? It is an important question because, if it is not, we would be much better off spending our time exploring other more cost-effective public transport options.

Of course, there are many people in the county who would be quite happy just to see the back of the whole eco-town project.