The Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) has agreed to hold a referendum on the proposed £2.7 billion Transport Innovation Fund public transport package, to be funded by a peak-time congestion charge of up to £10 a day.

The referendum, by which the leaders of all ten Greater Manchester Authorities have agreed to be bound, is likely to take place at some point in December. A majority of voters in seven out of the ten Greater Manchester boroughs must say "yes" in order for the scheme to go ahead.

How the question posed in the referendum will be phrased is to be based, council leaders say, on the outcome of a 14-week public consultation currently underway. This consultation period will conclude on 10 October, and households throughout the sub-region have received information packs extolling the virtues of the proposed scheme.

Businesses, however, have yet to see evidence of the promised parallel consultation over their concerns.

The Electoral Reform Society is also to be called in to help draft the question - which is highly unlikely to read, "Would you like to pay £2,000 a year to drive to work in return for a new bus stop?"

The referendum is to be carried out at polling stations and via postal voting. Anti-charge campaigners might be reassured somewhat by the timing of the poll: in the depths of December it's unlikely that anyone who doesn't own a car will be bothered to turn out to vote.

Bury, Stockport and Trafford councils are all opposed to the charge while Bolton, whose citizens stand to gain particularly little under the current plan, has pledged to hold a local referendum. Manchester, Salford, Tameside, Wigan, Rochdale and Oldham  support the proposals.

Cllr Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, had originally proposed a binding county-wide referendum to be decided on the popular vote across Greater Manchester. This proposal was, however, rejected by the other authorities on the basis of legal advice, so the result will now be segmented borough-by-borough.

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