Transport Secretary meets Northern leaders to drive forward economic recovery

Wednesday, 9 December 2020 12:38

Transport Secretary to chair Northern Transport Acceleration Council after hosting a business roundtable Series of meetings with political and business leaders to focus on driving forward the North’s economic recovery and building back better from the impacts of Covid-19 Transport Secretary will also meet with Northern MPs to discuss Northern Powerhouse policies Transport Secretary and Northern Powerhouse Minister Grant Shapps will this...Request free trial

Transport Secretary to chair Northern Transport Acceleration Council after hosting a business roundtable
Series of meetings with political and business leaders to focus on driving forward the North’s economic recovery and building back better from the impacts of Covid-19
Transport Secretary will also meet with Northern MPs to discuss Northern Powerhouse policies

Transport Secretary and Northern Powerhouse Minister Grant Shapps will this week meet with nearly 50 political and business leaders from across the North, to discuss the Government’s plans to drive forward the region’s economic recovery from Covid-19.

Speaking to mayors and council leaders at the second virtual meeting of the Northern Transport Acceleration Council (NTAC) today (9 December), the Transport Secretary will reaffirm his commitment to fast-tracking the delivery of infrastructure upgrades as the country builds back better from the pandemic.

It comes after he joined HS2 Minister Andrew Stephenson at a virtual roundtable with Northern business leaders yesterday to discuss how the Government and firms can work together to create jobs and boost skills while delivering net zero plans and generating local growth.

And next week, the Transport Secretary will meet with Northern MPs to explore what can be done across Westminster to expediate the delivery of Northern Powerhouse policies.

Transport Secretary with Cabinet responsibility for the Northern Powerhouse Grant Shapps said:

“Covid-19 has demonstrated that it is more critical than ever that we turbo-charge our efforts to power up the North. We’re focused on building back better, and dedicated to ensuring people see real change as swiftly as possible.

“These discussions will inform how the Government can work together with leaders across the North to kickstart recovery in the region, create jobs, develop skills and generate opportunities for communities.”

The meetings today come two weeks after the publication of the Government’s Spending Review in late November, which announced a new £4 billion Levelling Up Fund to invest in local infrastructure that has a visible impact on people and their communities.

Reforms to the Treasury’s ‘Green Book’ spending rules were also announced to refocus investment on poorer areas and spread opportunity right across the UK.

Speaking following yesterday’s business roundtable, Emma Degg, Chief Executive of North West Business Leadership Team said:

“These are difficult times for businesses across the North West, and this has been a tough year. However, we are also home to a number of investment opportunities that can support the Government to build back better, particularly through Net Zero NW, and the opportunity to discuss this with the Minister was invaluable.

“His commitment to working with us to ‘level’ up, investing in both infrastructure and our people was clear, and we look forward to working together to build a brighter future.”

The Transport Secretary will be joined at the NTAC meeting by the HS2 Minister, Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris and Roads Minister Baroness Vere of Norbiton.

Alongside discussing the outcome of the Spending Review and Green Book reforms, the Council will be updated on the work of the Department’s newly-established Acceleration Unit – which began operating in October – and its role in speeding up the delivery of Northern priorities.

The Transport Secretary will also today chair the first meeting of a panel of experts with experience across a range of sectors, who will work with the Acceleration Unit to unblock issues on key transport programmes and push forward progress for passengers.

Notes to editors

Speaking following yesterday’s business roundtable, Simone Roche, Founder, Northern Power Futures & Northern Power Women said:

“It was great to have been given a seat at the virtual table. I feel passionately that it is positive for northern leaders, businesses and communities to be part of the conversation and that it is key that female leaders and businesses are invested in financially and structurally as well as creating hope and opportunity for our future talent. We look forward to keeping the conversation going and levelling up.”

Rachel Skinner, President of the Institution of Civil Engineers and WSP Executive Director, said:

“As a member of the DfT’s external expert panel supporting its new Acceleration Unit, I can see clear potential to fast-track substantial social and environmental benefits, alongside much-needed economic growth, as we start to emerge from the grip of COVID-19.

“By unblocking investment in the right projects across the North and, crucially, agreeing on clear and fixed outcomes for each, government and the private sector can work together to create a greener, fairer future for all in the shortest possible timeframe.”

Spending review

The Spending Review settlement includes funding for key transport infrastructure projects and programmes in the North alongside a new UK-wide bank focussed on infrastructure, headquartered in the North of England.
Over £58bn of investment for flagship transport projects between 2021-22 and 2024-25, delivering some of Government’s largest capital portfolios and levelling up across the country.
A commitment of over £22bn to fund HS2 Phases One, 2a and 2b Western Leg to deliver essential North-South connectivity, greater capacity and shorter journey times.
£75m for developing Northern Powerhouse Rail next year. NPR is a key part of the Government’s agenda to level-up the North and, once built, it will transform connectivity across the region.
Multi-year funding certainty for the Transpennine Route Upgrade.
Over £17bn investment to upgrade the country’s National Rail network, with an increase in the share of investment for regions like the North, that have historically not benefitted from it as much. This includes:
- £500m multi-year Restoring Your Railway fund to support reversal of some of the Beeching line closures including those awarded funding in Round 2 of the ‘Ideas fund’ to kick start work on schemes that reconnect communities. Many of these schemes are located in the North including:
  - Reopening lines and new passenger services, Consett-Newcastle (North East)
  - New Station at Ferryhill, Ferryhill - Stockton-on-Tees (North East)
  - Preston - Blackpool South (North West)
  - Reopening lines and new passenger services, Bolton-Radcliffe / Bolton-Bury (North West)
  - New station at Beeston Castle and Tarporley, Crewe – Chester (North West)
  - Reopening lines and new passenger services, Gainsborough – Barton (Yorkshire and Humberside)
  - New Station at Waverley, Sheffield – Chesterfield (Yorkshire and The Humber)
Spending Review also confirmed that over £27bn will be available between 2020 and 2025 to improve the performance of the UK’s strategic roads, as part of the Second Road Investment Strategy (RIS2). RIS2 includes funding for a number of projects in the North, for example: upgrading the Newcastle-Gateshead Western Bypass, linking up the A1 north of Alnwick and Morpeth, improving the Simister Island interchange, and better access to Liverpool port.
It also announced an additional £146 million to accelerate the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine Improvements.
Over £2.5bn was announced for transport networks in eight city regions, of which six are in the North, across England from 2022-23, and a confirmation of funding for the continuation of the Transforming Cities Fund into 2021-22. This will continue to support transport projects in city regions across the North including in Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, the North East, Preston, Sheffield City Region, Tees Valley and West Yorkshire.