Trans-Pennine tunnel ‘could solve East to West conundrum’

BUSINESS leaders reckon one of the solutions to the Northern Powerhouse conundrum over East to West transport links – connecting Manchester with Newcastle – could be a Trans-Pennine tunnel.

Considered to be the region’s best thinkers, the panel at the UK Northern Powerhouse conference put it forward unanimously as one of the solutions to the longstanding problem.

Although introducing “smart motorways” was first on the list, John Cridland, chair of Transport of the North, urged that if we are serious about the Northern Powerhouse we have to be “serious about the Trans-Pennine tunnel.”

Third and crucially, all panellists called for a long term strategy and urged politicians to look beyond their five year term in power.
 
Whilst short term solutions can relieve pressure to traffic congestion and improve capacity, a “sharper look into the future” is required to make the difference needed to stimulate growth.

Also on the panel were Tim Hawkins, corporate affairs director of Manchester Airports Group; Jim O`Sullivan, chief executive of Highways England; Kate Willard, chair Atlantic Gateway & Corporate Affairs Director at Stobart Group; Tim O’Toole, chief executive of First Group; Graeme Mason, planning and corporate affairs director, Newcastle International and Keith Howells, chairman of Mott MacDonald.

Other key figures also in attendance at the event at Manchester Central were Lord O’Neill, Commercial Secretary to HM Treasury, Sir David Higgins, executive chairman of HS2, as well as the chief executives of all the major cities of the North.

Keith Griffiths, managing director of the UK Northern Powerhouse International Conference and Exhibition said: “As of 2017, directly elected mayors will be awarded greater powers over areas such as housing, economic development, skills and inward investment, and billions of pounds will be invested in infrastructure to connect the 15 million people of the North and help businesses grow.
 
“These policy changes provides a welcome focus on the economic potential of the great cities of the North, but it is ultimately up to the business community to deliver the thousands of jobs and attract the billions of pounds of investment.”

“Developed by business for business, the UK Northern Powerhouse International Conference & Exhibition is the biggest commercial conversation in a generation and aims to play a major role in shaping the Northern Powerhouse and helping the region to reach its economic potential.”

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