Combined authority outlines infrastructure priorities to national commission
THE West Midlands’ infrastructure priorities have been outlined to a national commission during a visit to Birmingham.
A West Midlands Combined Authority delegation met with representatives from the National Infrastructure Commission as part of its fact-finding tour to assess the nation’s infrastructure needs.
The importance of HS2, an expanded Birmingham Airport and the Midlands Connect project were all highlighted as part of the WMCA presentation.
The conference, attended by around 30 stakeholders, saw the various delegates put forward their top three priorities for infrastructure investment in the Midlands over the next 20 years – covering areas such as transport, digital, energy, waste or water.
They also outlined what they saw as potential barriers to such investment.
WMCA chair Cllr Bob Sleigh said: “This was an excellent – and early – opportunity for us to influence the vision and priorities of the NIC’s National Infrastructure Assessment.
“This is the UK’s first comprehensive assessment of the short, medium and long-term infrastructure needs and policies of the different regions.
“We emphasised our priorities as HS2 and its connectivity in the region, the importance of driving forward the expansion of Birmingham Airport and of us all backing Midlands Connect – not just for our region but for connecting to the East Midlands, to the north and south.”
NIC chair Lord Adonis said: “One of our big themes is to understand how we can significantly enhance the use of existing infrastructure.
“The event hosted by the WMCA has been extremely valuable and we want to make it an ongoing dialogue.
“A big lesson I draw from this is the need for effective regional infrastructure planning – and the interaction between regional and national is crucial. Getting that right in the Midlands will be a critical issue.”
WMCA chief executive Martin Reeves added: “We welcome this visit from such a high-profile commission at such a critical time for devolution and the Midlands Engine strategy.
“From the West Midlands point of view it was a great opportunity to make clear the need for infrastructure, including transport, digital and energy, to be thought through to help support our ambitious plans outlined in our Strategic Economic Plan to double output and create half a million new jobs over the next 15 years.”
