Cllr Howard Sykes welcomes Lib Dem Promise to Create Northern Economic Powerhouse

The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Cllr Howard Sykes MBE, has welcomed news that the Liberal Democrats will transform the North of England into an economic powerhouse, should the party form part of the next Government.

Lib Dem party leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg MP announced at this week’s party conference that the party will boost transport infrastructure in the region by developing and implementing the “One North” proposals.

“One North” – a transport plan developed by key northern cities – will maximise economic growth across the region and will feature prominently in the Liberal Democrat manifesto.

Nick Clegg said at the party conference in Glasgow:

“For too long the North of England has been neglected by central government.

“To close the north-south gap we need better transport infrastructure in the region. This means better motorways and better railway connections.

“The Liberal Democrats will develop and implement the One North proposals advocated by local authorities across the region.

“We are putting our commitment to transport infrastructure at the front and centre of our election campaign in the north to help build a strong and powerful regional economy”.

Cllr Sykes, who represents Oldham Council on the board of Transport for Greater Manchester, warmly welcomed the promised investment:

“One North” will mean improvements to roads and railways for the residents of our borough meaning Oldhamers will enjoy better, faster journeys using the enhanced transport infrastructure. Rail users will be able to catch 125mph trains using a newly-electrified, trans-Pennine route linking Greater Manchester to the new High Speed 2 rail service between Leeds and Sheffield, whilst road users will also benefit from upgrades to and the expansion of the M62, M60, M56, M6 and M61 motorways”.

Notes

One North is a “strategic proposition for an interconnected north”, placing “a transformation of connectivity at the heart of an aim to maximise economic growth in the North”.

It was signed by the leaders of Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield City Councils and by the Mayor of Liverpool, and launched on 4 August 2014.

The vision of One North is based on six guiding principles:

•Benefitting the national economy by raising the North’s productivity and competitiveness;
•A multi-modal vision for both logistics and personal travel, recognising that road is the dominant means of travel in the North but cannot meet the burden of all expected growth;
•Rail is the fastest-growing mode and will have to play a much increased role in the decades to come;
•Anticipation of economic and population growth;
•Seeking to maximise value by prioritising investment that will deliver the best overall return to the taxpayer in terms of net national growth;
•Being transformational in intent, with the major capital expenditure required being justified by the economic growth.