The new Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, Jesse Norman MP, has made his first public appearance in his new role alongside Transport for the North at the inaugural Northern Transport Summit that the organisation is partnering.
Following his presentation, Mr Norman met with Transport for the North’s Chair, John Cridland; and Chief Executive, David Brown. The three discussed the future of transport infrastructure in the North of England, and its important role in driving regional economic growth.
TfN Chair, John Cridland, Minister, Jesse Norman, TfN CEO, David Brown, Northern Transport Summit 2017
John Cridland, TfN’s Independent Chair, said:
“Mr Norman was very positive about the North and what we as an organisation have been doing. It was a pleasure to meet him and we look forward to working with him as we continue on our journey.”
“What we have achieved here at Transport for the North is a testament to how all of the areas across the region have been able to come together and drive the North forward.
“Only two years ago, just three people made up TfN; now there are over 80, and we are set to become the first statutory Sub-national Transport Body by the end of the year. We are also pressing ahead with the development of our Strategic Transport Plan, which will lay the foundations for transport investments that will deliver economic growth and prosperity in the region for decades to come.”
Transport minister Jesse Norman said:
“The great towns and cities of the north have a proud history of pioneering new transport developments, and an exciting future as part of the Northern Powerhouse. I look forward to working closely with Transport for the North as it identifies its transport priorities to help drive economic growth in the region.”
David Brown, TfN’s Chief Executive Officer, added:
“TfN has a clear mission to transform the North’s economy by intelligently developing our transport infrastructure. Both John and I were delighted to discuss with the minister how we can work together to ensure this mission becomes a reality.
Last week, TfN published the evidence that will inform its Strategic Transport Plan. The first of its kind, the Plan is being developed to transform the North’s economy through investment in the region’s transport infrastructure. It could help create close to a million new jobs and add almost £100 billion to the UK’s economy.
The evidence includes a Position Statement, Initial Major Roads Report and Initial Integrated Rail Report. The work, which has been developed in close collaboration with stakeholders and Partners, will help shape the Strategic Transport Plan that TfN will adopt when it becomes the first Statutory Sub-National Transport Body in England, expected to be at the end of this year.
The Position Statement explains how the Plan will add value for people and businesses across the North and aligns it with economic and transport plans at both a regional and national level. The Plan will be used to inform the agendas of the Department for Transport, Highways England and Network Rail with regional intelligence.
All documents comprising the Strategic Transport Plan evidence base can be found on TfN’s website: www.transportforthenorth.com
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