Friday 3rd May
This week’s news that the 80-strong cross party Northern Powerhouse All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) has written to the Chancellor calling for a £39 billion ‘down payment’ on Norther Powerhouse Rail investment is good news, not least because it shows Northern MPs working together to bring long-overdue improvements transport for residents and business.
People like to see politicians working together, particularly when the cause is obvious and the need is well-understood.
Right now, the country is in Brexit near-paralysis. So here’s a thought.
Why don’t these same 80 MPs tell the Prime Minister they will vote for her Brexit deal - so long as the £39 billion Northern Powerhouse Rail investment ‘down payment’ is guaranteed to be included in the Chancellor’s Spring Statement?
At a stroke, that would get the Brexit deal over the line, return national politics to some kind of normality and, crucially, get the vital Northern Powerhouse Rail project started.
Just a thought……….
Paul Dimoldenberg, Chairman, Quatro PR, +44 (0)20 7566 7960
Planning & Development
Cross-party MPs back housing associations’ campaign for ‘ambitious’ Northern targets
A group of 25 cross-party MPs have signed a letter to the government calling for ministers to introduce a new regional housing target for the North of England.
North-South Divide in Urban House Sales
Property sales in southern British cities have fallen by 13% since 2015, while sales in northern cities have risen by 6% over the same period.
Charnock Point site comes to market
A 15,096 sq ft new-build industrial scheme at Charnock Point in Aintree has come to market. LM6 has been instructed to market the site on behalf of North End Developments.
Landlords increasingly look to the north for better investments
Rents across England and Wales have barely moved in the last year. The average rent last month was £820, edging down 1% from March last year. However, the figure masks regional variations, with rents in London and the east of England falling, while they have risen in the south-west, west midlands, and Yorkshire & the Humber.
Northern MP's call for own housing target
Twenty-five Conservative and Labour signatories, including Chair of the Northern Powerhouse parliamentary group Caroline Flint and shadow planning minister Roberta Blackman-Woods, called for a more ambitious regional plan for delivering homes across the north.
Rotheram introduces social value measures into planning
Liverpool City Region is to incorporate an evaluation of social value in its Spatial Development Strategy, the over-arching planning document for the city region.
Sunderland's city centre 'will be transformed' with new million-pound investment plans
A city business group, that has members from across Wearside and beyond, has backed plans for £500m of investment, that will ‘breathe new life’ into Sunderland’s town centre.
Housing bosses call on Government to 'show more ambition' to ensure homes and services are planned together
MPs have pleaded with Government ministers responsible for housing to show more ambition when planning new homes and infrastructure.
Transport & Infrastructure
MPs demand £39bn NPR commitment from government
A group of 80 MPs have written to chancellor Philip Hammond urging the government to commit to a £39bn down payment for Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR), and deliver the flagship project alongside HS2.
HS2 contractors are causing irreversible damage to the environment, senior Conservative warns
High Speed 2 contractors are causing irreversible damage to the environment before the line has final-sign off, a senior Conservative warned last night.
Manchester mayor: 'Scrap Heathrow third runway and rebuild HS2 case'
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has claimed that High Speed 2 (HS2) can act as a catalyst for increasing capacity at both Birmingham and Manchester airports, replacing the need for a third runway at Heathrow.
Yorkshire MP demands commitment from Theresa May over future of northern transport
Thirsk and Malton MP Kevin Hollinrake confronted Mrs May at Prime Minister’s Questions, demanding Government support for an ambitious transport plan put forward by northern leaders.
Teesport Rail Freight Investment Continues To Drive Tees Valley As Engine Room Of The Northern Powerhouse
North East-based PD Ports has celebrated the success of its second daily rail freight connection to Scotland, with an official locomotive naming ceremony at Teesport.
'Stop moaning' mayor urges as claims of 'mistakes' made in Durham Tees Valley Airport deal
A senior councillor says "mistakes were made" in the deal to buy back Durham Tees Valley Airport. But the Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen has told him to stop moaning.
Government urged not to squander North's chance for better rail network
The Government is being urged not to squander the North’s chance for a better railway as fears have been raised a Whitehall review of the rail network has missed out on the chance to maximise social, economic and environmental benefits.
Work starts on link road to unlock major regeneration scheme
Work has started on a new link road which paves the way for a major regeneration scheme creating thousands of jobs and homes in the north-east of Doncaster.
Grayling confirmed for Northern Transport Summit
Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling is set to give a keynote speech at the Northern Transport Summit on 16 May.
Call for Greater Manchester to be given more devolved powers to run commuter rail services
An influential rail industry body wants city regions like Greater Manchester to be given more powers to control their commuter rail services. The proposals represent another major call for public transport devolution from central government.
£14m Peak District rail freight extension unveiled
A £14m rail freight extension in the Peak District has been unveiled by Network Rail to boost construction productivity and take lorries off the road.
Economy & Skills
Northern Powerhouse investments in Leeds total £20m
The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF), delivered by British Business Bank, has invested a total of £20m in SMEs in the Leeds City Region.
North wins £2m to support Angel Investment Accelerator Pilots from Innovate UK
A new pilot funding programme to encourage Business Angels in the regions to bring investment and expertise to pioneering innovative small and medium companies has awarded £2m to two North-based projects.
Electrical products supplier secures £21.5m funding boost
Established in 2009, Matchstick Men Group supplies retailers such as Sainsbury's, Argos, Amazon and Asda with Russell Hobbs, Zanussi, Nicky Clarke and George Foreman products.
Mid-sized North West firms boosted by jobs improvement
Accountancy and business advisory firm BDO has found that 51,376 additional jobs have been created, representing a 7 per cent increase from 726,342 to 777,718.
NPIF North West Microfinance fund hits £3million investment milestone
Two years after launching NPIF – BFS & MSIF Microfinance in 2017, GC Business Finance has reached a landmark £3million lending milestone, supporting over 50 businesses across the North West.
Northern talent key to Zen's Leeds expansion
The chairman and founder of internet service provider Zen, which has grown from a bedroom-based business in Rochdale to a company with its sights set on hitting turnover of £150m within the next four years, has hailed the North's talent pool after opening a new office in Leeds
Masterplan for Humber commercial park promises 5,000 jobs
A Humber commercial park masterplan which could deliver up to 5,000 jobs has been launched by the Wykeland Group. The prolific East Yorkshire development group is expanding the Melton West business park, following its acquisition of the Melton Park site next door.
Industry 4.0: Northern manufacturers’ once in a generation opportunity
While these national statistics may link to stockpiling for the B-word more than UK-wide prosperity, in the North, where manufacturing is engrained in local consciousness, we can draw more certain conclusions
‘Time to think big’ says executive dean of AMRC
Keith Ridgway wants the government to think big. The executive dean of the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in Sheffield believes the UK is crying out for major infrastructure projects.
Northern chambers announces record turnover
Northern-based Exchange Chambers has announced record turnover of £33.1m for the financial year – an increase of 7.5% on last year’s £30.8m.
Sirius set to fundraise $3.8bn for North Yorkshire mine
Sirius Minerals, the listed fertiliser company, is set to raise up to $3.8bn to fund its plans to mine potash from beneath the North York Moors. The FTSE250 company is looking for billions in debt and private equity in its stage two funding.
Politics & Devolution
North of Tyne Combined Authority: What powers will the new mayor have?
Voting for the mayor of the new North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA) takes place on Thursday. The government said the £650m devolution deal would enable investment to be targeted locally where it was most needed.
Burnham says Trump isn't welcome in Manchester but he reverses a pledge never to talk to him
Andy Burnham says US President Donald Trump isn't welcome in Manchester. But the Greater Manchester Mayor appears to have carried out a u-turn, reversing an earlier commitment that he wouldn't meet the president as a 'matter of principle'.
North of Tyne candidates continue to outline policy ideas
The Labour candidate has launched his manifesto in Alnwick, while the Tory hopeful has outlined his vision for housing as the clock ticks down to the election of the first North of Tyne mayor.
Yorkshire Party sets its stall out in Wakefield ahead of local elections
The party, which was set up in 2014, is hoping to build on its traditionally strong performances in the Wakefield district, having finished second and taken a quarter of the vote in one council ward last year.
Northern Innovators
Two Leading North East Entrepreneurs Launch Reward Me Now App
Sam Morton and Gary Hunter owners of REDU are behind Ashleigh Money Saver the UK’s leading shopping influencer. The business duo are now gearing up to launch the Reward Me Now shopping app with huge savings for UK shoppers.
School pupils launch reusable bamboo mugs to help environment
A student-run company that sells reusable bamboo mugs is proving to be everyone’s cup of tea. Sixth form pupils at Tytherington School have founded environmentally-friendly business Tytherington Eco Cups.
Netherlands Meets The North – Uniting Data Experts At The Northernlands Summit In Leeds
The Netherlands meets the Northernlands on Thursday 2 May at a one-day summit hosted by ODI Leeds as part of both the Leeds Digital Festival and Leeds International Festival.
Game on for Sunderland Tech Sector
According to the latest report by the Association of UK Interactive Entertainment (Ukie), video game revenues hit a record high of £5.7bn last year, more than the music and movie industries combined.
Blackpool digital initiative launches
A group of entrepreneurs, experts and businesses have come together to launch a virtual network designed to encourage innovation and growth and put Blackpool on the map as a national digital centre
Darlington coffee company secures investment for global growth
Coffee specialist Beanies Flavour Coffee has secured investment from business finance firm NPIF - FW Capital Debt Finance to boost its ongoing growth plans.
Arts & Culture
Wigan plans to become arts and culture hub
A plan to transform a town into an arts hub is about "breaking new barriers and change", an artist has said. Wigan Council's five-year plan has seen part of the town's shopping centre The Galleries into a performance venue and will see further investment elsewhere.
Harrogate beer event: Sellout start for Women on Tap!
With just hours to go until the launch of this year's Harrogate-based festival championing the cause of women in the male-dominated beer world, organisers say they are delighted it is starting with a soldout event.
Energy & Environment
Recycling giant eyes Ellesmere Port facility
A recycling giant has outlined plans to open its first UK plant at Ellesmere Port in a move which could create more than 50 jobs. Advanced Sustainable Developments (ASD) is in talks with Peel Environmental about locating the facility at the latter's 54-acre Protos site.
Investment to power growth at energy consultancy
A Greener Solution provides energy assessment, procurement, monitoring and efficiency services to public sector organisations and private companies, both within and outside the region.
Opinion & Research
Is devolution the way forward for railways?
Rail does not need to compete with itself to provide better services, it needs central direction, says Les Summers. Better integrated transport in and between our northern cities is key, says Henri Murison
Henri Murison: Why it is in the North’s best interests to back HS2 and not let Tory leadership contest derail high-speed rail
The North has had a great history, and the Stockton to Darlington railway saw the first public passenger services. Then, Liverpool and Manchester followed soon after and led to a railway building boom.
Powerhouse perspective: Craig Naylor-Smith
Put simply, the Northern Powerhouse is a shared ambition to deliver on the region's incredible potential. We have a reputation for excellence and a wealth of expertise and experience in both traditional industry and emerging technology.
The Yorkshire Post says: Why One Yorkshire campaigners should make the most of Brexit impasse
Like rural affairs, progress on most policies is in abeyance due to Brexit. Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry confirmed as much when he said that the Government’s devolution strategy will not be published until “after our exit from the EU”.
