Public consultation on Freight & Logistics Strategy runs until Monday 31 January and everyone is invited to respond.
The public consultation on a Freight & Logistics Strategy for the North of England is now live, and residents and businesses are invited to get involved and have their say before it closes at the end of January. The draft strategy, developed by Transport for the North (TfN), highlights the opportunities to address the challenges that lie ahead for the sector and calls on everyone to provide their experiences and feedback to help shape the way forward.
The freight and logistics sector is vitally important for the North of England, with more than 33% of goods entering through the region’s ports and 25% of GB freight starting or ending in the North.
However, the sector faces a number of challenges and constraints, such as a shortage of warehouse capacity (especially rail connected warehousing), lack of reliable and efficient east-west connectivity across the Pennines, and a disproportionate reliance on ports in the South of England.
The draft strategy showcases the importance of the efficient movement of goods, particularly for economic recovery and growth, and sets out the urgent need to take action to decarbonise the freight and logistics sector. It also looks at the demand for a multimodal freight network covering road, rail and water; the potential for ports and freeports; and sets out a delivery plan and recommendations.
The strategic policy positions needed to develop to deliver the strategy effectively.
The strategy reflects the objectives of TfN’s Transport Decarbonisation Strategy, firstly in achieving near-zero emissions from our surface transport network by 2045, and secondly in optimising the social and economic benefits from clean growth opportunities in the North.
The virtual consultation room contains all the information and feedback forms and everyone is encouraged to take a look and have their say by 31 January 2022.
Martin Tugwell, Chief Executive at Transport for the North, said: “The freight and logistics sector is vital in helping us all get the things we need to go about our daily lives. The impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and the UK leaving the EU brought this into sharp focus, so now is the perfect time for the North of England to set out a strategy on how we can best support and enable the movement of goods around our region.
“Our Freight and Logistics Strategy, which covers road, rail and waterway freight, reveals the data that drives the sector; identifies the options for decarbonising freight; and sets out the importance of the sector to enabling ambitious growth for businesses.
“It’s an important piece of work, and we urge everyone to get involved in the consultation – not just those who work in the sector, but members of the general public and business community too. Getting goods to our homes and workplaces efficiently, reliably and in a sustainable way is only going to get more important in the coming years, so it’s essential we hear from many voices now to help set us on the right journey for our future needs.”
Sir Peter Hendy said: “Setting out our strategic priorities for freight and logistics in the North through TfN’s strategy will help us plan our rail networks in the decades to come, recognising the need for our railways to work for both passengers and the greener movement of goods.”
Peter Kennan said: “Transport for the North’s Freight and Logistics Strategy will help us to focus a lens on this key sector as a facilitator of growth and productivity. The strategy also has a vital role in helping us look at decarbonisation of this important sector. The same lens can help us focus in on freight related recommendations arising from the recent Union Connectivity Review and go some way to addressing the shortcomings of the Integrated Rail Plan, which failed to focus on the capacity needed for freight on the North’s railways.”
Maggie Simpson said: “It’s great to see that Transport for the North and its Members are developing a multimodal Freight and Logistics Strategy for the North. We must see more freight on our railways, facilitated by making best use of the existing network for new services, supporting the development of new rail interchanges and making the case for investment in capacity and electrification for rail freight across the region.”
Visit our virtual room and leave your feedback.