July 6th 2018 For well over a week now Saddleworth Moor near Oldham and Winter Hill, close to Bolton have been ablaze. Fire services from 7 neighbouring counties and the army have been drafted in to control the blaze but due to unseasonably dry conditions and a natural store of carbon-heavy peat the fires have burned on. Homes in nearby villages have been evacuated whilst others have been issued health warnings to keep their windows closed and remain inside on the hottest week of the year. This is devastating news, not only for those who live nearby but for the local wildlife and environment. Even more heartbreaking is the news that the fires are being treated as an act of arson and elsewhere on nearby moors people have been spotted suspected of starting additional fires. Only a few weeks ago, Director of IPPR North Sarah Longlands wrote in this newsletter about the importance of the North’s natural assets. The north’s natural beauty and the benefits to quality of life that living near outdoor spaces can bring are often touted as a key reason for people and businesses to move to the Northern Powerhouse. But whilst workers from elsewhere will head up for North to for weekends walking and camping on our moors and peaks, those that live nearby are often isolated from enjoying their benefits to the extent that they would seek to destroy them. It really should be a national scandal that this is still ongoing. Whilst wildfires in the UK are nothing new, destruction of this scale has been unknown for a long time and has been exacerbated by the effect of manmade climate change, causing unseasonably dry weather and by human acts of wanton destruction. Yet whilst the moors burn at a rate of around 7 square miles per day, the state of the lawns at Wimbledon and fears of a hosepipe ban have been more of a daily news feature in our national press. If this was the Chiltern Hills I suspect the situation would be very different.
SIMON COLLINGWOOD, Quatro North, 07427 228288 Economy & SkillsSun over Blackpool and Scarborough, but dark days are not overThe sky is cloudless and the tide is high. Seagulls are scavenging, skin is blistering and the sea looks tempting. The trams go rumbling along the front and the air is thick with the authentic smell of the seaside: malt vinegar on chips. On a day like this, Blackpool appears not to have a care in the world. The town grew up as an oasis of fun and still does what it was set up to do in Victorian times. As the ice-cream stalls coin it in, it is hard to believe that Blackpool is usually portrayed as a town without a future, the biggest victim of consumer demand for more exotic destinations. New institute and HS2 depot 'will make Leeds a global centre for high-speed rail'A new HS2 rolling-stock depot and university institute will make Leeds “a global centre for high-speed rail research and development”, project leaders have claimed. The depot will provide 24-hour maintenance for the new high-speed railway. The facility will create up to 125 skilled jobs in the Aire Valley area of Leeds. Jobs, the North-South divide and Bradford's importance to Northern Powerhouse discussedJudith Cummins MP welcomed businesses, trade unions, civic leaders and a senior Labour figure to Bradford South for a discussion on jobs, narrowing the north-south divide and the vital importance of Bradford to the Northern Powerhouse, before discussing Bradford’s place in the regional and national economy - and how to improve it. Mrs Cummins said: “It was great to continue the dialogue with local businesses, trade unions and other important figures in Bradford about how we can all work together to get the best for our city. Knowledge Quarter maths college to open by 2020The University of Liverpool has announced plans to build a mathematics college as part of the Knowledge Quarter by 2020, although its exact location has yet to be revealed. The University said the new college would be the first of its kind in the North of England, following similar schools opened in 2014 by the University of Exeter and King’s College London. Due to open in 2020, the college will have the capacity to take 80 pupils per year, and has been backed by the Department for Education. Businesses need access to top talent after Brexit, Sage boss saysBusinesses in the North need access to the top talent if they are to meet the aims of the Northern Powerhouse, one of the region’s top bosses has said. Speaking to The Journal before an appearance at the Northern Powerhouse Business Summit - part of the Great Exhibition of the North - Sage CEO Stephen Kelly also called for UK policians to focus issues like skills, education and productivity, and not simply on Brexit. Transport & InfrastructureTranspennine rail electrification 'at risk' as Tory ministers fail to guarantee it in 'betrayal of the north'Tory ministers have refused to guarantee they will electrify the whole Transpennine rail line in what MPs warn would be a "betrayal" of the north. It comes just days after it was claimed ministers were "preparing to ditch" the major upgrade between Manchester and Leeds. The Northern Rail chaos isn't new - they've failed to hit punctuality targets for two yearsNorthern Rail has continually failed to hit punctuality targets for two years, the Manchester Evening News can reveal – proving the chaos did not begin with May’s timetable changes. The operator has not run the expected number of trains on time in any month since June 2016, just weeks after it took up the contract. First step for million pound Cumbrian coastal railway upgradeThe first steps have been taken to begin a multi-million-pound upgrade of the under-pressure Cumbrian coastal railway line. An initial business case has been submitted to the Department for Transport to improve the line, which connects Barrow to Carlisle. The Cumbrian Rail Programme Board – a group of businesses and organisations – says pressure on the line will significantly increase over the next 10 years. Station near Doncaster Airport 'must serve more than just airport and could solve level crossing problem'A parkway station near Doncaster Sheffield Airport must serve more than just the airport and could solve problems related to a level crossing in Rossington. That is among the views on the railways raised in part three of our latest Doncaster Free Press round table event, on the subject of transport, held at Doncaster Sheffield Airport. New Seattle flights boost the Northern PowerhouseThe North of England is now better connected to the United States than ever before, leaving it well placed to capitalise on trans-Atlantic economic opportunities. The US is the UK’s largest trading partner, accounting for around a fifth of all UK exports, worth more than £100bn in 2016 alone. Of those exports, the majority were services, including travel which is one of the top five British service exports to the US along with telecoms and financial services. Top consultant rubbishes Hyperloop link in LeedsA top transport consultant has rubbished claims that Leeds is in line for a hyperloop connection. Jonathan Spruce, director at Leeds-based transport planners Fore Consulting, said that the technology is not suitable for short distances in West Yorkshire. His comments come after West Yorkshire Combined Authority transport committee chairman Councillor Keith Wakefield told the BBC that a 17km hyperloop connection between Leeds and Bradford could be developed. Planning and DevelopmentApproval for major Gateshead schemeFull planning approval has been secured for the development of up to 2.5 million sq ft of high bay distribution or industrial accommodation at a site immediately south of the Follingsby Park Industrial development in Gateshead. Highgrove Group said site infrastructure and enabling works on the development - to be known as Follingsby Max - have started and are expected to run for six months with fully serviced plots set to be ready for development by the end of the year. Leeds Station set to become ‘world class gateway’ for the regionThe next step for a £500m scheme to transform the North’s busiest railway station has been approved by decision-makers this week. West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) announced at its annual meeting that it would fund further work into its Leeds Integrated Station Masterplan. Look out London: Manchester house prices rising more than any major cityAs London continues to plateau with house price growth now at a nine-year low, the Northern Powerhouse city of Manchester is proving that there’s still time to invest in its growing housing market. A new UK Cities House Price Index from Hometrack has revealed that Manchester is still the top major UK city in terms of house price growth, with a 7% average property price rise over the past 12 months. Homes in the city now costs an average £163,300, compared to London’s colossal £491,200 price tag, according to the data – but the gap is expected to continue to narrow. Stockport Pyramid goes up for saleThe Co-operative Bank has instructed Cushman & Wakefield to sell the Stockport Pyramid, bringing 86,000 sq ft of office space to the market with an asking price understood to be around £4.5m. One of Stockport’s most recognisable buildings, the Pyramid has been home to the Co-operative Bank since 1995, but many functions have since relocated to Manchester’s NOMA and other sites, leaving the building surplus to requirements. Northern InnovatorsGreat Exhibition of the North: The InnovatorsFour of the firms who are taking part in the Great Exhibition of the North's innovation trail explain just what they've contributed, and why it's important. Leeds chosen as location for dxw digital's first office outside of Londondxw digital, the public sector digital specialist, has announced the the opening of a new office in Leeds, to be led by the former head of the Home Office’s Digital Hub in Sheffield, Saul Cozens. Having a northern office will help the London-based company work with a wider range of public sector organisations, as well as with local authorities in the North and Midlands. Construction sector gets £420m investment for tech and innovationGovernment and industry have jointly launched a Construction Sector Deal worth £420m to transform productivity in the sector. The deal aims to bring a “bytes and mortar revolution” to construction through digital building design and manufacturing technologies, which the government said would cut the time taken to deliver new-builds by 50%. Politics and DevolutionDevolution deal delays frustrate council chiefsCouncil chiefs remain 'determined in their quest' to secure a devolution deal – but are growing 'increasingly frustrated' with the Government. In January last year, Warrington Borough Council's (WBC) Labour group voted for the town to team up with Cheshire West and Chester Council and Cheshire East Council in a deal – instead of the Liverpool City Region. Key Minister James Brokenshire pledges to respond to ‘One Yorkshire’ devolution plans ‘in detail’Key Cabinet Minister James Brokenshire has committed to respond “in detail” to proposals for the devolution of powers and money from Westminster to a Yorkshire-wide mayor. In his first public comments on the plans since being appointed in April, the Local Government Secretary told The Yorkshire Post he was also “very conscious” of the “lively debate” over devolution in Yorkshire. Arts & CultureHepworth Wakefield uses £100,000 prize to buy Helen Marten sculptureThe Hepworth Wakefield art gallery in West Yorkshire has announced it will use the £100,000 it was awarded for being named as the Art Fund museum of the year for 2017 on acquiring a Helen Marten sculpture and developing a new public garden in its grounds. Half the prize money will go towards a newly commissioned piece by Marten – who won the Turner prize in 2016 – for the Wakefield Permanent Art Collection. The Macclesfield-born artist was also the recipient of the inaugural Hepworth prize for sculpture. Fund manager wanted to administer £3 million Northern Cultural Regeneration investmentOrganisations can now apply to manage a £3 million social investment fund that supports culture and creativity across the Northern Powerhouse. The money, which was initially announced by the Prime Minister in May, is the next phase of the Northern Cultural Regeneration Fund that will provide a lasting cultural legacy from this summer’s Great Exhibition of the North, hosted by Newcastle - Gateshead. Dig to uncover history of Sheffield's medieval castle to get underwayExcavations at Sheffield's Castlegate site are expected to get underway after council bosses appointed archaeologists to carry out the dig. Sheffield Council has appointed Wessex Archaeology to uncover how much remains of the city's medieval castle and pledged there would be opportunities for the public and schoolchildren to view the work and learn more about the site's history. Opinion & ResearchThe south barely reacting as the north burns tells you everything you need to know about EnglandMoorland fires are not new to Britain. They occur more or less every year, but rarely spread far these days before they are quelled either by effective fire-fighting techniques or a deluge of summer rain. The fires currently raging on Saddleworth Moor near Oldham and at Winter Hill, close to Bolton, are a reminder of the damage that can be done when the rain stays away – especially when a blaze takes hold on land rich with peat. Why are so many of England's World Cup footballers from Yorkshire?When Eileen Hetherington first met Kyle Walker, he was a scrawny 11-year-old starting at High Storrs school in south-west Sheffield where she taught PE. “He oozed personality,” she says. “He was personable, cheeky, a good laugh.” He is now 5ft 10, weighs 13 stone, and is a right-back playing in England’s World Cup squad. “He didn’t really fill out until after he left, so seeing him now as a big strapping footballer and, by the sounds of it, one of the best defenders in the world is amazing,” Hetherington says. How philanthropy breathed new life into a forgotten Salford suburbNeil McArthur has never forgotten the words uttered to him by a London-based property guru when he said he wanted to base his firm’s technology division in Irlam, the district of Salford he grew up in: “What the hell do you want to build it in the middle of Beirut for?” England’s north-south divide is history – but the nation’s rifts are deepeningThe north of England is as much of a myth as a material reality. Its particular economic, political, social and geographic qualities give it a unique character, distinct from the south of England. Since 1980s de-industrialisation, the north has been characterised as a region in decline. But this summer’s Great Exhibition of the North is redressing this perception, by promoting the region’s vibrant culture and putting the fruits of its current artistic renaissance on show. Lawyer calls on Northern Powerhouse to support diversity and inclusionThe founder of Diversity Magazine is calling on companies in the North to embrace the diversity agenda as the three-day Northern Powerhouse Business Summit gets underway in Newcastle.Lawyer Garth Dallas wants firms to make diversity and inclusion a major theme in all the aims of the Northern Powerhouse. How Has The North West Business Sphere Changed In The Last 10 Years?Cities in the north west, such as Liverpool and Manchester, have historically been known as places full of innovation, with thriving and diverse communities and hardworking people. Over recent years, these qualities have been brought to the forefront once again, with eyes increasingly turning towards the north for its business successes and high levels of investment.
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