Insight: Public Consultation + Political Engagement

New house-building figures released by the Government last week hint that things may be starting to improve.

More and more people are cycling into Manchester and it's not just drivers who need to adjust

UK Government introduces new measures to accelerate fracking.

Politics is a funny old game. A year ago Liberal Democrat GM Mayoral candidate Jane Brophy polled just over 6% of the vote, trailing a distant third behind Labour’s Andy Burnham and the Conservative’s Sean Anstee.  This week she was one of the two Lib Dem Trafford Councillors to agree a ‘confidence and supply’ agreement […]

Lord O'Neill has identified four more Northern Powerhouse areas ripe for devolution - but can local politicians deliver?

Liverpool City Region is on the up, but its success remains fragile. Inward investment has remained strong, even as Brexit approaches. Expect to see clues to whether Liverpool is catching up with Manchester emerging over the next year. If cherished projects like Liverpool Waterfront start to stumble, it will be a worrying sign. These are […]

Northern Rail's new timetable comes into force on 20 May 2018. What does it tell us about integrated public transport and the Northern Powerhouse?

The Northern Powerhouse is all about cities, but what is the vision for towns like Barrow-in-Furness?

The Northern Powerhouse is built on two pillars. One of them, transport infrastructure, gets a lot of attention. The other, skills and education, is often an afterthought.

Is the Prime Minister a NIMBY or a YIMBY? After yesterday’s speech announcing the new National Planning Policy Framework it is hard to tell.

Lord Michael Heseltine and John Prescott were the star turns at the New Statesman Northern Powerhouse conference on Thursday.

During last year’s Mayoral election, Andy Burnham called for “no net loss of the Green Belt” over the next twenty years. He wanted the GMSF (Greater Manchester Spatial Framework) to build in town centres and called the first draft of the framework “unfair and disproportionate.” As the development community awaits the publication of the next […]

Cycling sceptics predicted empty cycle paths in winter. Were they right?

Transport for the North has launched its 30 year Strategic Transport Plan for consultation. Here's what you need to know.

There are plenty of examples of ideas that seemed great but really didn't work as expected. Can good consultation avoid the pitfalls?

The Government's 25 year plan for the environment has important news for housebuilders.

When used properly, social media can be a potent weapon that really enhances a consultation. Here’s why.

Chris Boardman's cycling and walking report was published last Friday - but does it contain anything new?

Andy Burnham's bid to take ownership of 97 stations was rejected, and it may cause real problems for the GMSF.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham made a big speech on transport today. You can read it here and read the Place North West report here. Burnham is setting up a Greater Manchester Strategic Transport Board. Otherwise, it’s as you were. Everything is carrying on much as before in line with the TfGM 2040 strategy written […]