76 Northern business figures have written to the Prime Minister urging the Government to commit to delivering Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) in full – connecting the North’s major city regions and unlocking growth across the country.
In an open letter coordinated by the Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP), senior executives and entrepreneurs from across the North’s infrastructure, education, professional services and manufacturing sectors have made the case that NPR is essential to realising the North’s economic potential.
The letter – signed by figures including Rami Baitiéh, CEO of Morrisons, and Chris Oglesby, CEO of Bruntwood & Bruntwood SciTech – argues that building a new high-speed line from Liverpool through Manchester, Bradford and Leeds, with onward connections to Sheffield, Newcastle and Hull, will transform connectivity and productivity in the North.
“Northern Powerhouse Rail is the answer,” the letter states. “It would put 3.8 million more northerners within 90 minutes of four or more northern cities, more than double the number of people who can reach Manchester Airport within 90 minutes, and add £14.4bn in GVA annually by 2060.”
The signatories stress that this investment would create jobs, attract private investment and drive regeneration, while providing confidence to developers and employers that the North’s infrastructure ambitions are being realised.
The letter adds that NPR should be “radically different to HS2,” developed from the bottom up in partnership with local government and business, using innovative delivery models and focusing on regeneration, housing and growth outcomes first and foremost.
Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said: “It is welcome that the Chancellor and Transport Secretary remain publicly committed to investing in better connectivity across the Pennines. Furthermore, there is no more committed supporter of the long-term opportunity of the North to contribute more to growth of the UK than the Prime Minister himself.
“The business community is committed to a way forward which matches the available resources to a prioritised plan. We will continue to work constructively to get a solution that whether it be in Bradford, Liverpool or Sheffield ensures they benefit from improvements and new lines where necessary to maximise the benefits and further to the existing investment going on electrification and upgrades between Manchester, Leeds and beyond towards the North East.”
