Transport tops wishlist for Autumn Statement

With less than a week until the new Chancellor of the Exchequer’s first Autumn Statement, a coalition of Manchester businesses has made an ambitious call for the Government to spend more on transport in the North per head than in London over the next decade.

Currently, Government spending on transport is more than six times greater per head in London and the South-East than in the North, a gap of £1,600 per person. This is despite the Northern economic area being larger than London, with 15.1m residents, compared to 8.7m.

The call to revolutionise transport funding comes from Manchester-based professional services companies Addleshaw Goddard, Grant Thornton and Atkins, who have produced an ‘Unlocking Growth in the North’ report. The report is the outcome of a series of events held over the last year, involving more than 100 organisations, to discuss how to boost growth in the North and rebalance the UK economy.

They say spending commitments in Manchester and the North per head should exceed those of London over the next decade. The unprecedented move would free Transport for the North to make the decisions that matter for the region in its bid to grow as an economic powerhouse after years of under-funding.

The report, which is publicly backed by several businesses across the North, including Manchester-based Siemens UK and Amey, calls for the full and swift devolution of powers, matched with funding commitments required to help transport commissioners make the decisions that matter for transport infrastructure in the North.

This includes improvements to Northern roads, rail and ticketing systems, as well as better freight connections and East-West links. The report also explores long-term pathways for private investment in transport infrastructure.

The report calls for the existing roadmap towards transport devolution to be strengthened and expedited.

Paul Hirst, partner, Addleshaw Goddard, said: “The North’s performance has been severely hampered by a major shortfall in investment. It is clear that that underinvestment has damaged growth in the UK economy and it is time this damage is undone and that spending in the North is greater, for a period, to unleash the north’s economic potential.”

“Like the many organisations involved in producing this report, the Northern Powerhouse recognises this region’s vast potential. For too long, a lack of powers and chronic under-funding in transport have held the North back. In post-Brexit Britain this needs to change. That’s why we’re calling on the Government to use this Autumn Statement to revolutionise Northern transport by swiftly devolving statutory powers and injecting the necessary funding to unlock growth in the North.”

The Autumn Statement is due to take place at midday on Wednesday 23 November.

Click here to read the ‘Unlocking Growth In The North’ report

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hear hear! Fully agree with this vision. Lets hope Westminster listens.

By name

There appears to be is a serious lack of consultation with Liverpool in this document.
So what would we expect from it’s authors,and just proves that the LCR is not on their agenda for such an apparently “ambitious” programme. So LCR should stop believing once and for the so called Northern Powerhouse, more a Selective Powerhouse.

By Man on bicycle

Manchester don’t want to work with the rest of the North they are completely deluded and believe they are the Capital ,it’s a joke , so the Northern Flowerhouse is dead and buried before it’s begun ,Westminster knows this and are quiet happy to allow Manchester keep suffering a serious case of delusions of grandeur.to keep the North from being any threat to the South East, fact .

By Mancpie

What a joke, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, York….not a single mention of Liverpool. No doubt it was included in ‘the north’ economic figures mentioned though. Quite deliberate to try and push TfN spending to the Manc-Yorkshire corridor than the other side.

By HJ

It’s a report from a business led lobby group. They are not obliged to consult with anyone.

By Obviously

They can do what they want, that’s true, but when they tag it with the “North”, then surely they must include all the North and missing out probably the most important partnership in the NW
of Liverpool and Manchester is uncomprehensible. Otherwise the recent “love ins” between the two sharing stands at expo’s and talking up each others potential was just lipservice in these peoples eyes. What it does look like from here, we are still in the North by the way, is that certain elements want our business and support when they need it, but dismiss Liverpool when it is not in their interest. I really do hope any clients of these companies based in the LCR take note of their disregard for their business interests and ask them about this exclusion.

By Man on bicycle

Whats all the fuss about getting to your destination 15 mins faster? The real transport and business issue for the entire NW is to get the internal rail frieght network to Liverpool from Birmingham, Sheffield, Glasgow, Immingham and Newcastle. Do that and we all benefit!!!

By Billy

It really is ‘curious’ that an organisation that is supposedly championing ‘the North’ would conduct a year long consultation of the ‘stakeholders’ and not feel they had to consult anyone from the Liverpool City region. Regardless of whatever findings this report comes up with, it needs to go in the bin unread.

By Deebee

Addleshaws are members of Osbourne’s NPP along with LCR, talk about blanking your fellow members?

By Man on bicycle

Manchester are not to be trusted they are only out for themselves…Sad really not Northern team effort

By MANCIEPIE

There needs to be some collective winding-in of necks and putting down of pitch forks here.

It should plainly obvious that improvements to the transpennine corridor will unlock journey time improvements for cities across the north from Liverpool through to Hull and Newcastle. That’s where you’re going to get most bang for your buck (or cost benefit in official parlance) so is where investment should be concentrated. Common sense no?

To reiterate this is a business-led lobby group and as such has no obligation to name-check every town and city just so they feel included nor pander to whining from quarters it does not represent. The real question should be why has LCR chosen not to participate in the events?

Obviously.

By Obviously

Obviously: direct, hard-hitting, uncompromising. I like it.

By Zebith

Obviously, they weren’t asked or considered, but then again you may know something we don’t know and do you represent any of the authors of the report, you seem very keen?

By Man on bicycle

Obviously – Exhibit A for the kind of self interested assuming arrogance all too typical of the cabal of decision-makers pushing their agendas for ‘Northern’ investment. How could you possibly know what the priorities for the North be if you don’t ask the port cities of Liverpool, Newcastle and Hull? Truth is this report is totally illegitimate and should be treated with disdain.

By Entwhistle

Man on bike. How do you know they weren’t asked or considered? You’re making things up.

By Obviously

Obviously, you answered your own question, you stated that “They are not obilged to consult with anyone” and ” no obligation to name check”. Why would I be making things up?
Are you insinuating that I am lying? Why would I, my point is that the NP is not a jolly little thing that it is made to be and individual cities and interests are pursuing their own agenda’s sometimes to the deteriment of others. So please answer my question, are you connected to the authors and are you trying to limit the damage this document has done to the so called “bon ami” of the NP and potential and existing clients this side of the M6? Also if you are so defensive of the Author’s why don’t you ask them, you seem very concerned about them?

By Man on bicycle

Have you even read the report or just done a quick CTRL-F for “Liverpool”?

Of course I’m not connected to the authors. Just pointing out the obvious which is as a private sector led group they have no obligation name check or even consult with every man and his dog.

The goal is to rebalance infrastructure spend towards the north in the broadest sense not deprive individual cities of spending or to pander fragile egos. As I said you might be better advised asking LCR why they weren’t involved rather than pursuing some imaginary sleight – it’s not a good look.

By Obviously

I have read it and that’s why I have made these remarks, its not about egos at all.
But surely the report is flawed if it is purporting to be for the North yet excludes a very big and important part of it?

By Man on bicycle

So now Liverpool, Newcastle and Hull and even Bradford are ‘every man and his dog’ and ‘pandering whiners’ with ‘fragile egos’. At least we are clear on how you view those regions who dare to question the legitimacy of a ‘pan-northern’ report that claims to bat for the whole of the North. And you wonder why the Northern Powerhouse project is viewed with suspicion?

By James T

Oh come on, the report doesn’t exclude anywhere though does it? If you’d read it you’dve known that. It’s about rebalancing expenditure towards the north not a list of area-specific projects. Obviously.

By Obviously

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