Generational Change in the North

The North of England has a golden opportunity to drive the type of generational change that could transform how we live, how we work and how we grow together as a region.

Successive governments have provided much hope that our moment has come, but the stars really do appear to be aligning this time. All this of course comes on the back of what has been, for many reasons, an incredibly challenging 12 months. As we start to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic though, we should set our sights not just on recovery but a much bigger reinvention of the region.

The commitment to ‘level up’ by rebalancing investment across the North and South has long been made by the current government. This appears to have now been baked into plans to stimulate the economy and infrastructure investment looks to be the biggest lever that the government has chosen to pull. The net zero agenda and addressing the climate emergency also lies at the heart of this.

£27bn has been pledged for economic infrastructure for 2021-22. Details were outlined in the National Infrastructure Strategy (NIS) which has also coincided with the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, the Energy White Paper, and the Green Book Review, not to mention the Construction Playbook and the soon to be published IPA Routemap, both of which will help set the standard for delivery.

The indications are that over the next 12 to 18 months, we will see a vast investment in rail, road, telecoms and utilities, especially in the North. All this should be music to our ears, and we hope that when the Budget is delivered by the Chancellor on 3 March that there will be still more to come.

There are five priority areas which that investment must support:

  1. Beyond the showcase investments of HS2 and Northern powerhouse rail or HS3, the North needs a consolidated approach to public transport. This means ensuring good transport links within and beyond our cities in the form of rapid transit systems and buses.
  2. The ecological footprint of our housing stock needs to be reduced by raising the quality standards to build low energy buildings with renewable energy sources. Local authorities such as the City of York Council are looking at meeting Passivhaus standards in their housing programmes.
  3. Equally important to physical infrastructure is investment in future proofing digital infrastructure in the North. Investment on fibre to building and the 5G roll out are critical parts of the investment.
  4. Many local authorities have declared climate emergencies and developed civic plans to tackle environmental issues such as clean air, carbon reduction and waste management; facilitating the transition to a low carbon economy is essential.
  5. To deliver this and take advantage of the region’s capabilities, we need a large and skilled workforce. This means opening up the construction industry to a more diverse talent, embracing modern methods of construction and new ways of working, and rethinking the way we engage with the next generation of talent.

As a business our interest in the levelling up agenda, goes much deeper than our 75-year-old roots in Darlington, our headquarters in Leeds, or being part of an industry that is the enabler for a rebalanced recovery.

Over the last 24 months we have actively supported and contributed to the work of the UK2070 programme. In its latest report, Go Big. Go Local, the Commission set out the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for the government’s Levelling Up agenda. There is an urgent need to understanding not just the challenges but also the huge opportunities that already exist regionally.

If we can get to grips with the change that’s needed, the potential we have and how to deliver it successfully then there are no limits to the social, environmental and economic benefits this will have for the North and the wider UK.

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Turner & Townsend are one of the partners for the landmark Invest North conference curated by TheBusinessDesk.com. The programme for the not to be missed one day event has been unveiled and includes sessions on the future of the North, redefining cities in the post pandemic world and the future of the devolved North.

 Michael Grace, director at Turner & Townsend will be joining Roger Marsh OBE DL, chair NP11 and Leeds City Region LEP as well as Isobel Sheldon, chief strategy officer, Britishvolt and Richard Upton, chief executive, U&I in a session entitled Reaching for the Northern Sky. It will look at how the North thinks big and achieves long term transformation in the form of creating new urban districts and attracting long term investment.

To see the full programme of events and book your tickets  visit InvestNorth.uk and ensure you’re part of setting the agenda for what comes next in the North.

 

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