Transport for the North submits formal proposal to DfT

Transport for the North (TfN) has submitted a formal proposal to the Department for Transport to become a statutory Sub-National Transport Body.

David Brown, the Chief Executive of what is expected to become the first sub-national transport authority in England, confirmed the application had been submitted on Friday 14 October following months of preparation for what will be an historic moment in the story of devolution.

He said: “This is a significant moment for the North, and for the wider UK, as work continues to develop the transport systems and infrastructure we need to rebalance the economy. Working with our Northern Partners, the Department for Transport, and the national operators, our mission is to kick-start transformational change by building on the foundations of an evidence-driven Northern Transport Investment Plan.”

He added: “It’s an entirely new approach to developing transport infrastructure in the North, and while it will bring with it challenges, the results are aimed directly at closing the productivity gap between the North and the rest of the UK. It is ambitious, but it needs to be if the North is to be truly competitive on the world-stage.”

At the heart of the economic challenges faced by the United Kingdom is the imbalance in activity between the North and the economy as a whole – GVA per capita in the North is weak when compared to the national average and in particular compared to London and the South East and the North’s major city regions are considerably less productive than equivalent second tier conurbations in other developed economies.

The TfN Chief Executive said investment in a world-class transport network was essential to creating a transformed, integrated Northern economy greater than the sum of its parts.

He said: “What we want to do is better connect the major urban centres and economic assets of the North to market opportunities. This will mean better connections for everyone including talented staff, suppliers, collaborators and customers at home and abroad. If we get this right then a higher-performing, more unified Northern economy will be a magnet for inward investment. And, if we do that, it could add more than £97 billion in real terms in gross value added and 850,000 new jobs by 2050. Clearly this is a prize worth having both for the North and the rest of the UK.”

TfN has now submitted a formal proposal to the Department for Transport, for consideration by the Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling MP. The proposal sets out the powers the organisation is seeking to have transferred from central government, and the basis on which these powers will be governed and delivered. The bid rests on the united support of a diverse Partnership Board, which provides democratic, accountable governance. Collectively, TfN and its partners embrace subsidiarity, with decisions made at the most local level appropriate. The Secretary of State will consider the proposal, and if he approves it, will draft a Statutory Instrument, which will then need to be approved by each House of Parliament.