Mr Goodwill met with David Brown, Chief Executive at Transport for the North (TfN) to discuss plans for future investment in Scarborough and Whitby as well as recently submitted proposal to the Department for Transport to become a statutory Sub-national Transport Body.
Since its inception in 2014, TfN has been working together with local authorities and stakeholders to allow the North to speak with one voice on the big decisions to benefit the region as a whole.
In March 2015 TfN unveiled its ambitious vision to help build the Northern Powerhouse by transforming connectivity with a host of transport improvements. The blueprint set out a strategic economic case with plans for rail, highways, freight, inter-city connectivity and integrated transport services including a smart ticketing system. The Government has committed to investing £13 billion on transport projects across the North.
After attending the event, Robert Goodwill, commented:
“A world-class transport system must better link up the individual cities and towns in the North, to allow them to function as a single economy and be stronger than the sum of their parts. Transport for the North is identifying the issues and coming up with real solutions. Securing its status as a statutory Sub-national Transport Body will be an historic moment in the story of devolution, benefitting Scarborough and Whitby and the whole of the North.”
David Brown, Chief Executive of Transport for the North, said:
“What we want to do is better connect the major urban centres and economic assets of the North to market opportunities. This will mean better connections for everyone including talented staff, suppliers, collaborators and customers at home and abroad. If we get this right then a higher-performing, more unified Northern economy will be a magnet for inward investment. And, if we do that, it could add more than £97 billion in real terms in gross value added and 850,000 new jobs by 2050. Clearly this is a prize worth having both for the North and the rest of the UK.”
The proposal for STB status, submitted to the Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling MP sets out the powers the organisation is seeking to have transferred from central government, and the basis on which these powers will be governed and delivered.
The Secretary of State will consider the proposal, and if he approves it, will draft a Statutory Instrument, which will then need to be approved by each House of Parliament.