#TransportSummit Roundup

Glow attended the Transport Summit 2017 in Leeds today. Here's our roundup:

Organised by Downtown In Business, the event held at Cloth Hall Court in Leeds saw quite a line up of speakers. Two Metro Mayors, Lords, Sirs Council Leaders, Chambers of Commerce, FSB, IoD and Business Leaders convened to talk about Transport in the North, Crossrail North, wider transport investment  and what happens next.

Panel 1: Where Are We Now? Scene Setting & The Current Situation Of Transport Infrastructure For The North

Chair: Sarah Longlands, IPPR North

Panellists: Luke Raikes, IPPR North; Sir Richard Leese; Nigel Foster, Transport for the North

Sir Richard Leese commented that all three major parties had “Failed the North in terms of transport investment”

Panel 2: The Business View

Chair: Frank McKenna, Downtown in Business

Panellists: Allison Page, Business North; Adrian Waddle, Newcastle Business Improvement District; Holly Bonfield, Federation of Small Business; Dr Ian Kelly, Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce. Ian Kelly says that HS3 should be higher priority than crossrail 2.

Brief: Lord Jim O’Neill, Northern Powerhouse Partnership

Lord O’Neill made a strong case, articulating well the argument that infrastructure investment and improvement in the North will improve national output figures. A transformed North could see an increase in GVA of £100bn with 850,000 new jobs.

Panel 3: The Political View

Chair: Frank McKenna, Downtown in Business

Panellists: Judith Blake, Leader Leeds City Council; Steve Rotheram, Mayor Liverpool City Region; Julie Dore, Leader Sheffield City Council; Nick Forbes, Leader Newcastle City Council

Judith Blake noted that Manchester to Leeds is the same length as the Tube’s Central Line.

Nick Forbes says, memorably “Passing the buck, without passing the bucks is not really an answer from central Government.”
 

Andy Burnham: Conclusion and Next Steps

“This is an opportunity for the North, if we are prepared to seize it.”

Mr. Burnham sought agreement on a position statement and received a majority show of hands to form a Council for the North to move the matter forward.