Call for £15bn Northern transport devolution
A THINK tank has challenged Chancellor George Osborne to devolve £15bn of transport spending and decision-making to the North in the forthcoming Budget.
IPPR, the Manchester-based organisation, says in a report that a new strategic body, Transport for the North, be set up to run the transport network, should set policy and prioritise investment. It would be run by local authorities in the North West, Yorkshire, Humber and North East.
Called Transport for the North, the document argues implementing such a bold policy would transform the Northern economy and also benefit the environment.
The report is being launched in Manchester this morning at an event attended by the bosses of Transport for Greater Manchester, London and Simon Kirby, chief executive of HS2.
IPPR argues that after decades of underinvestment and Whitehall control, Transport for the North (TfN) would be responsible for and would integrate rail, road, sea and air transport, and decide priorities for infrastructure investment, franchising and ticketing.
To begin the process, the report urges the Chancellor to invest in the £15bn ‘One North’ infrastructure priorities brought forward by Northern cities last year – often referred to as ‘HS3’.
Its long term blueprint recommends:
:: The appointment of a Transport Commissioner for the North, who would be a figurehead for developing northern transport;
:: Move towards a contactless, cross-boundary ticketing system – using mobile phones and contactless payments for journeys across different modes of transport;
:: Manage rail franchises, rolling stock and stations – to do away with outdated Pacer trains, and make overcrowded services and platforms a thing of the past.
The research concludes TfN gives the North chance to national growth and prosperity, by boosting jobs, productivity and wages.
Ed Cox, director of IPPR North, said: “Northern transport infrastructure is dated, poorly integrated and lacking the large-scale investment it needs, but Transport for the North could be at the vanguard of a coherent economic plan that will fire up the Northern powerhouse.
“Devolving transport powers and budget to the North will help transform the region’s growth prospects and rebalance the economy. What we now need to see is the warm words on Northern growth translated into firm commitments to make this vision for a modern transport network a reality. An initial investment is needed, but this is about the North shaping its destiny through devolution of powers. The Budget is an opportune moment to spell out the extent of the party’s ambitions for Northern prosperity.”
The chief executive of Manchester Airports Group, Charlie Cornish,who said: “Investing in new rail links and rolling stock, and devolving transport powers to the North, will deliver huge economic benefits not only for the region but also for the entire country.
“With better connectivity across the North it will be quicker and easier for people to get to and from the region’s airports, and in particular to Manchester Airport for long haul services. This will provide the 60% of UK businesses that are based within two hours of the airport with better access to an even wider range of global destinations directly from the North – reinforcing and sustaining stronger economic growth over the long term.”
Iwan Griffiths, North West chairman at PwC, which hosted the launch, said: “This report provides a solid blueprint for devolved decision making for transport policy in the region.
“If the North is to stand a chance of taking on the world, as the chancellor has suggested, then its cities need to be linked more closely. That it takes three and a quarter hours by train to travel about 130 miles between our two ports, Liverpool and Hull, is clearly not good enough.”
