“If we are truly to build an economy that is fit for the future, then we have to get all parts of the UK firing on all cylinders,” Hammond said, allocating £377m from a £1.7bn pot aimed at supporting intra-city transport objectives, which local developers have criticised as "a drop in the ocean".
England’s seven regional and city-wide Mayors, including Greater Manchester’s Andy Burnham and Liverpool City Region’s Steve Rotheram, are meeting in London today to issue a call to the Government to increase the pace and scale of devolution.
The Government will give almost £3.8m for the region-wide approach in tackling homelessness and rough sleeping, which will be the UK’s first devolved homelessness package, but Mayor Andy Burnham said more needs to be done.
Bernard Priest, Manchester City Council’s deputy leader and Ardwick councillor said the lack of support for councils regulating private landlords “represents a clear division between the interests of Manchester people and the insiders that are currently in power”.
Cllr Sean Astee, leader of Trafford Council, has said that housing is “becoming the defining issue in our generation” during a fringe event at the Conservative Party conference, and that the Grenfell Tower fire will be a key event for years to come on the need for safer social housing.
Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Communities & Local Government, has said that “Governments have got a huge, real challenge in trying to combat homelessness” and promised “I will talk about it until we have got a change”.
Mayors and leaders from Liverpool City Region, Manchester, Newcastle, Leeds and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority have discussed further the formation of a body that will provide a strong, unified voice for the north.
The Institution of Civil Engineers will today hand over its report Delivering a Northern Infrastructure Strategy to the metro mayors of Liverpool, Manchester and Tees Valley, with the empowerment of Transport for the North among its recommendations.
This weekend marks 100 days since the country’s first Metro Mayors took up their posts, writes Steve Gillingham of Mace. With terrorist attacks, a turbulent general election, and challenging Brexit negotiations all making the headlines, it has been a testing initiation period.
The organisation, which is tasked with driving economic growth in the North, has thrown its weight behind the calls of Andy Burnham and other civic figureheads for the government to see through in full its commitment to strategic rail improvements in the region.
