Final City Centre Bus re-routing plans published in response to Liverpool City Centre Connectivity Scheme

THE final plans for changes to Liverpool City Centre bus routes are now available with the majority of bus users will see no changes in where they get on or off their usual services. The plans were put together in response to Liverpool City Council's ₤45m City Centre Connectivity Scheme (LCCCS) and changes in road layout including on Lime Street and The Strand. The roll out of these changes to bus services was delayed due to Covid19, but they are now scheduled to come into effect from late January 2021.

The majority of current bus services will remain unchanged with more still being retained during morning peak travel times thanks to revisions driven by customer feedback from bus users received during an opportunity to comment held last summer. Most people will still see no change to where they get on and off the bus in Liverpool City Centre.

A small number of services will be withdrawn as changes in road layout which come as part of the LCCC scheme mean it will not possible for those services to follow their previous routes.

Boarding and alighting points for most services will generally be focussed in or around Queen Square and Liverpool ONE Bus Stations, with a frequent Cross City provision running between both Bus Stations for those who need it.

The City Council's ₤45m City Centre Connectivity Scheme (LCCCS) has been designed to make the city cleaner and more environmentally friendly, changing how traffic from cars, buses and bikes to pedestrians all move through the City, reducing congestion and improving air quality.

The scheme involves the radical redesign of major highways such as:- Lime Street and The Strand, new dedicated cycle lanes, more than 200 new trees, a new water feature by St George's Hall, as a well as a new Bus Hub to accommodate a change in services.

Key changes to routes:-

►  Hanover Street Services:- 82 services will continue to operate as they currently do in the short term. With the introduction of successful bus priority measures; 82 services will serve Hanover Street, with all journeys operating in both directions. It is anticipated this will coincide with rerouting change in January 2021.

►  Commercial District Services:- The majority of services currently operating to Dale Street, Mann Island and James Street will start and finish at Queen Square Bus Station or Sir Thomas Street; however a number of services will continue to travel through in the morning peak period.

►  Brownlow Hill Services:- Due to the closure of Lime Street, services will not be able to travel across to Queen Square. Instead journeys will split at Paddington, with the 61 and 79C operating via London Road to Queen Square and all 79 journeys via Brownlow Hill and Hanover Street to Liverpool ONE.

►  80 & 80A rerouted, but will be reviewed:- The 80 and 80A services will operate via Berry Street and Duke Street to Liverpool ONE Bus Station. Routes will be reviewed in Spring 2021 following the introduction of successful bus priority measures on Hanover Street.

►  Services 82D & 86D withdrawn:- Due to changes to roadways as part of the connectivity scheme, it will no longer be possible for any bus services to travel to Queen Square from Lime Street South which means that this onward journey to the business district is not possible.

►  Cross City provision:- Service 10A will continue to operate as normal through the day, offering a link between Queen Square and Liverpool ONE Bus Stations.

Full details of the finalised changes to bus services can be found at:- LiverpoolCityCentreBus.CommonPlace.IS.

Cllr Liam Robinson, Transport Portfolio Holder for the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority said:- "We're pleased that following the feedback received from passengers last year, we've been able to make some further changes to bus rerouting in Liverpool City Centre. The majority of bus users will be able to continue to use services as they have in the past and will not see any change which is great news for them. However due to changes being made to road layout, some people will not be able to get on and off the bus as they do right now. I'd like to thank again all those passengers who helped shape these final plans, which still support Liverpool City Council's City Centre Connectivity Scheme and we share the vision for a transformed, cleaner, greener City Centre and City Region."

Cllr Sharon Connor, Liverpool City Council's Cabinet Member for Highways, said:- "The road layout of Liverpool City Centre has hardly changed in half a century; yet how we use it as a place to live, work, shop and enjoy has transformed beyond all recognition in the past 2 decades. The connectivity scheme addresses that amazing transformation and aims to put people at the heart of the experience of visiting and exploring our beautiful City. We want and need it to be a cleaner, greener and healthier City Centre and walking and cycling are very much key to achieving this. Equally we need to rebalance how people arrive by bus and car and improvements to Lime Street, The Strand and Hanover Street will help us achieve that. We thank Merseytravel and the Liverpool Bus Alliance for their co-operation in working with us to make the journey into the City Centre a more pleasurable and practical experience for their passengers."

For more information on Liverpool City Council's City Centre Connectivity Scheme visit:- Liverpool.Gov.UK/BetterRoads.

TIME is running out for anyone who sold a 2nd home during 2019 to 2020 to declare it on their Self Assessment Tax Return. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding customers that they have until 31 January 2021 to declare any profit made from selling a UK residential property, which was not their main home, during the 2019 to 2020 financial year, and pay the Capital Gains Tax that is due.  Since 6 April 2020 there have been changes to how customers declare and pay Capital Gains Tax. UK residents who dispose of a UK residential property that is not their main home and make a Capital Gain where there is Tax to pay, should use the online service to inform HMRC and pay the Tax due within 30 days of completion. Non-UK residents disposing of UK land and property should also use the online service, regardless of whether there is a gain or not. The new rules affect landlords or property developers selling on part of their residential property portfolio, or UK residents who sell a residential property that is not their primary home.

Karl Khan, HMRC's Interim Director General for Customer Services, said:- "The 2019 to 2020 Tax year is the last year UK residents will be required to pay the Capital Gains Tax for the sale of properties, as part of the Self Assessment process and we want to make sure they are aware of the new requirements. We're making it easier for customers to pay any Tax that is owed. UK residents, including property developers and landlords, should now use the online service to make any Capital Gains Tax declarations immediately after selling a residential property."

Customers will still be required to inform HMRC of any Capital Gains Tax liabilities, on their 2020 to 2021 Self Assessment Tax Return, however, any payments that have already been paid will not count towards their annual Tax Return bill. Anyone selling a UK property that is their main residence will not be affected. Customers will continue to complete their Tax Return as now for any other Capital Gains Tax declarations in the future. They will pay Tax on any profit, above their Tax free allowance, when they sell:-

►  Most personal possessions worth over ₤6,000, apart from their car.

►  Their main home if they have let it out or used it for business.

►  Shares.

►  Business assets.

Customers can find out more about the changes to declaring and paying Capital Gains Tax on:- GOV.UK.

THE Chancellor has announced a further ₤100m allocation for the Bank's Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF) within the latest Spending Review, bringing the total for investment to over ₤500m. NPIF was launched in February 2017 and has recently passed its ₤200m milestone, having directly invested ₤200m into over 700 Northern based SMEs in deals that have attracted an additional ₤232m of investment from the private sector. An early evaluation of NPIF found that funding has increased employment, improved skill levels, and increased turnover and innovation for portfolio businesses, leading to overall improvements in productivity.

NPIF funding has enabled these businesses to scale up through new product launches, expand into new global markets and further invest in staff and infrastructure. NPIF offers various funding options, including microfinance solutions between ₤25,000 and ₤100,000, debt finance between ₤100,000 and ₤750,000, and equity finance up to ₤2m. Regionally, NPIF has reached a series of milestones in recent months, including ₤20m of investment in the Humber, ₤30m in Lancashire and ₤30m in Liverpool City Region, and now supports almost 1 in 5 equity deals across the North.

Catherine Lewis La Torre, CEO of British Business Bank, said:- "The Chancellor's announcement of additional funding for NPIF today is a real boost for businesses in the North and the partners working hard to support them. It also underlines the Bank's commitment to the Levelling Up agenda, with the government making it a strategic priority to ensure investment is going into businesses across the whole of the UK. Having recently passed its ₤200m milestone, NPIF has demonstrated a strong track record of supporting small businesses across the North, and will continue to be a key player contributing to the UK's economic recovery."

Roger Marsh, OBE, DL, Chair Leeds City Region LEP, NP11 and NPIF Strategic Oversight Board, said:- "This is excellent news for NPIF and demonstrates the benefit of the Local Enterprise Partnerships across the North working together to deliver a shared vision of growth and prosperity. I am particularly pleased that the Government recognises the potential of the North to contribute to the economic recovery as we rebuild the Northern Economy. This additional funding, which takes the Fund to over ₤500m, will be crucial in supporting small businesses across the North as they continue investing in innovation and skills."

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014 to 2020 and the European Investment Bank.