New figures released today by Midlands Connect and MP show that within three
miles of Junction 28 of the M1, strategic companies collectively
support over 43,000 jobs and generate more than £10.5 billion in
annual turnover.
Midlands Connect's Roads Programme Lead, Swati Mittal, said
investment in road upgrades could help ‘boost' the area's
economic growth.
Advanced Manufacturing and Retail are the dominant sectors,
accounting for the largest shares of employment and economic
output. This sector alone contributes over £1.6 billion in
turnover and employs more than 10,000 people, highlighting the
area's role as a hub for manufacturing and supply chain activity.
Retail also plays a major role, contributing nearly £6.7 billion
in turnover and supporting 16,900 jobs, showing how the corridor
also serves regional consumer markets. The concentration of
logistics and business services shows the importance of fast,
reliable links to the wider motorway network.
This concentration of industry and retail sector hubs underscores
the need for reliable connectivity to sustain business
operations, freight logistics, and access to skilled labour.
Data released today in May showed that by 2035, due to the
economic success of the area, there could be 81,830 extra trips a
week using Junction 28, even though the junction is at 107%
capacity in the morning rush hour.
Midlands Connect, Roads Programme Lead, Swati Mittal,
said:
“With over 43,000 jobs and £10.5 billion turnover concentrated
within just 3 miles, junction 28 enables national and
international connectivity for key industries.
“Investment to address congestion, improve journey reliability,
and unlock capacity will support manufacturing competitiveness,
supply chain efficiency, and enable planned growth in housing and
employment in the region.”
Bolsover MP , the Parliamentary Champion
for Junction 28, said:
“These figures show how critical making improvements at junction
28 is for employment and the economy.
"People in Bolsover and beyond need to be able to travel to and
from their jobs in this area without
sitting in congestion and businesses need to get goods
in and out of their sites without unnecessary delays.
“I will continue to push for the improvements that we need.”
About Midlands Connect
Midlands Connect is the Sub-national Transport Body for
the Midlands.
Midlands Connect researches, develops and champions long-term
transport projects to provide the biggest possible economic,
social and environmental benefits for the Midlands and the rest
of the UK.
We examine every option for improving major transport
infrastructure in our region. The fundamental aim of these
improvements is to transform regional and UK gateways, bringing
the Midlands closer together and accelerating cost-effective
improvements to unlock east-west connectivity that will enable
the region's economies to work more effectively together.
Our partnership is made up of 22 local authorities, East Midlands
and Birmingham airports, and Chambers of Commerce stretching from
the Welsh border to the Lincolnshire coast. The partnership also
includes the Department for Transport, Network Rail, National
Highways and HS2 Ltd, with whom we work alongside to drive an
unprecedented level of collaboration for the good of the Midlands
and the UK.
The Midlands Connect Strategy, as well as its latest reports, can
be downloaded here: https://www.midlandsconnect.uk/publications/
