Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy is calling on Government to back
plans for a new Northern Arc to rebalance infrastructure
investment and turbocharge the national economy.
On Tuesday, he will meet with Treasury ministers to set out the
Northern Arc vision, which is based on new analysis carried out
by economists at Metro Dynamics.
Greater Manchester has seen the fastest growth in the UK, with
average annual growth of 3.1 per cent since 2015, and the highest
productivity growth of anywhere in the country.
This growth has come despite historic underinvestment in
transport infrastructure in the North of England, which is losing
£16 billion a year in productivity due to poor transport links.
Greater Manchester's economic success to date has been driven by
its pioneering devolution deal, and a unique place-first
partnership approach that brings together the public, private,
community and voluntary sectors, and harnesses the strengths of
the city-region's universities and dynamic innovation ecosystem.
But the city-region's continued growth cannot be guaranteed as
poor transport links are acting as a brake on economic
development across the North.
The productivity gap between London and the North West alone
stands at 27 per cent and could widen without the right
infrastructure to connect growth centres.
New analysis suggests that if the untapped potential of the North
West can be unleashed through new infrastructure investment, the
region could help turbocharge economic output to the tune of £90
billion by 2040 – complementing the up to £78 billion generated
by the Oxford-Cambridge Arc by 2035.
The Northern Arc is a series of economic areas stretching from
the North West to the Pennines and connecting into West and South
Yorkshire, underpinned by transport links that would include a
new railway from Liverpool to Manchester.
The North West section alone, encompassing the Liverpool City
Region, Cheshire and Warrington, and Greater Manchester, covers
an area home to 5.4 million people, two Investment Zones, and an
annual economic output of £150 billion.
It also offers an unparalleled opportunity to compete on the
global stage, with international gateways through the Port of
Liverpool and Manchester Airport, and a world-leading innovation
and industrial ecosystem, from life sciences to energy and
advanced materials.
Mayor of Greater Manchester said:
“The Northern Arc is the most exciting growth opportunity on
offer – and one that can give a massive boost to the national
economy.
“Greater Manchester has been the UK's economic success story over
the past decade, as part of a resurgent North pioneering English
devolution. But the outdated infrastructure linking our great
cities risks limiting our potential and widening the productivity
gap with London and the South East.
“The Government has given its backing to the Oxford-Cambridge Arc
to boost economic output in the South. We can say with confidence
that the Northern Arc is our answer to reaping the rewards of
growth here – and offers an even bigger prize for UK plc.”
Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council,
and Greater Manchester lead for economy, business, and inclusive
growth said:
“We've seen a remarkable decade of growth in Greater Manchester
with a fast-growing economy outpacing our international
competitors. The right investment, better connecting us
with our neighbours in Sheffield, Leeds
and beyond will kickstart a new decade of
growth across the North of England, creating new
jobs and opportunities for our residents
and helping our people and our places to truly fulfil their
potential and deliver growth for the whole country.”
Rather than competing with areas in the South, the Northern Arc
will build on the strong track record of collaboration between
partners across the North West and with other areas across the
country – including the groundbreaking Manchester-Cambridge
innovation partnership established last year.
Greater Manchester has a plan to secure £1 billion of investment
every year over the next decade through a single integrated
pipeline for growth.
The plan is targeted at six Growth Locations, nationally
significant sites with the highest potential to boost the
regional economy and bring benefits to all 10 boroughs.
Notes to editors
Mayor Burnham will be appearing on BBC One's Laura Kuenssberg
show at 9am on Sunday April 27th.
