‘Put transport first’ says NW Business Leadership Team
NORTH West business leaders are calling for transport investment in the region to be given urgent priority and are launching an in-depth report calling for a national infrastructure strategy.
The NW Business Leadership Team of influential executives and professionals is also throwing its weight behind the High Speed 2 project – which it says should start as soon as possible.
The group, which has worked with businesses employing more than 30.000 people in the region, including Siemens, BT, RBS, Addleshaw Goddard, BAE Systems, Virgin Trains, First Transpennine, Bruntwood, The Co-operative Group, Merseyrail, Pilkington and United Utilities, on its
‘North West on the Move’ report.
It will be presented to Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin at the Conservative Party conference tomorrow.
The Business Leadership team report argues that the North West has suffered over many years from a lack of transport investment, causing uncertainty and hitting regional competitiveness.
Juergen Maier, NWBLT chair and managing director of Siemens Industry UK said “A strongly coordinated National Transport Infrastructure Plan is absolutely essential for developing our region’s economy, which in turn will make exporting easier and growth more sustainable, and secure jobs for our children.
“Despite contributing £120bn to the UK economy the North West currently receives annual transport investment of only £178 per head compared with the South East’s £2,731 per head. This needs to change, and – despite the very welcome recent approval of several major local rail modernisation schemes – still represents a serious level of underinvestment in the North West.”
Mr Maier said is “vital” the HS2 project is supported and delivered.
“It is over 100 years since any new main line was opened north of London. The construction of a world-class new line directly linking Manchester, Liverpool and other major NW centres such as Crewe and Preston with London and Scotland is vital if we are to overcome the motorway gridlock that is already a daily occurrence.”
Mr McLoughlin welcomed the report as “an important contribution to the transport debate”.
He added: “The report rightly recognises that HS2 is the right thing to do for the future of the North “est and the country as a whole by freeing up vital space on our railways for passengers and freight, generating hundreds of thousands of jobs and delivering better connections between our towns and cities”.
The report identifies a number of recommendations to address short, medium and long term transport challenges.
They include:
:: More investment is required in surface transport links to Manchester Airport
:: Addressing the most serious “pinch-points” in the region’s motorway network, including the M56-M6^ links, bottle-necks at the western end of the M56 link with Wales and with the M53 to Wirral and Liverpool.
:: Introducing a pan-regional smartcard like the Oyster Card
:: Implementing a flexible approach to Airport Passenger Duty to boost regional airports.
Mike Blackburn, deputy chairman of NWBLT and regional director for BT Added: “A North West argument must be made for this critical infrastructure.
“The new HS2 line will add £15bn to the national economy per annum and unblock the UK’s transport arteries which are holding back our growth potential – cross party political consensus must be built around this.”
