Political and business representatives from Transport for the North (TfN) have met with Lord Adonis, the Chair of the new National Infrastructure Commission, in Newcastle this week as part of his two-day fact-finding visit to the north of England.
The discussions took place between Lord Adonis, Councillor Nick Forbes Leader of Newcastle City Council and lead Member for Regional Transport at the North East Combined Authority, Leader of Gateshead Council Mick Henry; Chief Executive of the North East Chamber of Commerce James Ramsbotham and Transport Lead for the North East Local Enterprise Partnership David Land. This marks the first step for TfN in its development of a strong case to the commission for pan-northern, transformational investment in transport infrastructure.
Lord Adonis was accompanied by TfN’s new Chief Executive David Brown throughout the visit, which also included sessions with representatives from Hull and the Humber, Sheffield, Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester.
The meetings saw discussion of a wide range of topics related to connecting cities and towns in the North – the challenges, the benefits and opportunities to drive economic growth, and the supporting evidence that underpins TfN’s Northern Transport Strategy.
Nick Forbes said: “Building on the work that’s already been done to develop a Northern Transport Strategy, this was a timely opportunity to talk to Lord Adonis on the connections between the North East and other key cities in the North , which is one of the commission’s core focus areas.
“Transport is the life blood of a growing and thriving economy. Better connections between the towns and cities of the North will give benefits that willbe felt far and wide. This requires commitment and investment over the long term and we welcome the support of the National Infrastructure Commission and Government to help drive forward our ambitious agenda.”
During the visit a Call for Evidence was launched by the commission, inviting all interested parties to make submissions on its initial three areas of focus.
Lord Adonis said: “Unlocking a new era of economic and social growth in the north will require significant and innovative infrastructure solutions. The new National Infrastructure Commission will assess these needs, identify priorities, and report to government to ensure that the north has the roads, rails, ports and other modes of transport to be the backbone to the northern powerhouse.”
TfN is a unique partnership between Northern local transport authorities, Government and the National Transport agencies. It was created in 2014 to allow the North to identify how best to drive economic growth through strategic investment in transport and allows the North to speak with one voice on the big decisions which benefit the region as a whole. The process to appoint an independent Chair before the end of 2015 is underway. Plans are also in place to develop TfN into a statutory body by 2017, supported by the government’s recent commitment to put regional transport bodies – like Transport for the North – on a statutory footing with the publication of proposals in Parliament.
The newly formed National Infrastructure Commission is charged with offering unbiased analysis of the UK’s long-term infrastructure needs. Lord Adonis’ team is working closely with TfN and its partner northern authorities to establish the evidence base and identify the options for future investment in strategic transport infrastructure, with a view to improving connectivity between cities, particularly east-west across the Pennines.
For further information on TfN, please see www.transportforthenorth.com.