The government has been urged to commit to a 'Northern Budget' to deliver a boost to the region's economic fortunes.

The call, which is backed by members of Transport for the North's Board – who collectively represent more than 15 million people across the North – asks the new Government to deliver on commitments previously promised as part of the Northern Powerhouse agenda. It comes just days after the Chancellor announced a fast-tracked spending round for Government departments for the next year.

Northern leaders are calling for a commitment to three core "asks" for the North of England to get the bare essential in better transport infrastructure in the short, medium and long-term.

It includes a commitment to a £7 billion Northern Infrastructure Pipeline, featuring road and rail projects which could commence in the next five years and have the potential to transform connectivity in the short-term.

The "asks" call on the Government to consider both short and long-term commitments to the North, at both this year's fiscal event and the longer-term review of infrastructure spending now slated for 2020.

It includes:

• Commitment to a £7 billion Northern Infrastructure Pipeline – a list of shovel-ready road and rail projects to be delivered by the mid-2020s

• Commitment to build the full £39 billion Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) network by 2040

• Commitment to £1 billion for Transport for the North over the next three years to deliver on its vision, including funding for the development of Northern Powerhouse Rail and other road and rail schemes

-- Advertisement --

It follows a pledge by the Prime Minister to turbo-charge infrastructure by delivering a new high-speed rail line between Manchester and Leeds, and his commitment on the campaign trail to be the leader of his party in July, where he said that Transport for the North were: "making a very, very good case here for £39 billion investment in east-west connections from Liverpool to Manchester, Bradford, Leeds."

Barry White, Chief Executive of Transport for the North, said: "The North is now at the top of the national political agenda, with promises to balance out the UK's economy and unleash our potential by better connecting our towns and cities. We now need a Northern Budget to make both the shovel-ready projects and the ambitious longer-term programmes like Northern Powerhouse Rail a reality.

"Closing the productivity gap between North and South is essential if we're to compete on a global stage – but the North's constrained by creaking infrastructure.

"These are the minimum requirements needed to overturn the underinvestment, under different Governments, stretching back decades. It'll ensure the North becomes greater than the sum of its parts and will get the UK firing on all cylinders.

"Whilst the Government is planning for a one-year spending round for its departments against a Brexit backdrop, there is no reason why we can't see real commitment and recognition of the ambitious pipeline of infrastructure investments the North so badly needs."

Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: "Government may look different, but our 'asks' are not. We're consistent and focussed in our plan for what infrastructure the north needs to unlock its full potential, not just for its own benefit, but for the whole UK. A 'Northern Budget' would be the ultimate demonstration of commitment.

"Northern Powerhouse Rail is vital to the North's future economic success, supporting 850,000 new jobs by 2050 and an extra £100bn into the economy. The north is clear that we only support NPR proposals that deliver the whole network, from Liverpool to Hull, along with HS2."

Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Mayor, said: "For the North to truly reach its potential, and for the Powerhouse project to succeed, we can't be treated as the poor cousins to the South. We need more investment in Teesside as well as the whole of the North. I've been very vocal in calling for further Government Funding to not just our region, but the wider North for projects such as Northern Powerhouse Rail . I'm never going to stop pushing for more local control and I've been heavily involved in this latest call as the Vice Chair of Transport for the North.

"Connecting our northern towns and cities via a high-quality transport network is vital to boost economic growth and job creation. It will help people access jobs and opportunities throughout the region and the wider North and it will help to unlock the plans I have to grow the Tees Valley.

"Projects like Northern Powerhouse Rail are essential for commuters, businesses and residents if we are to unlock the true potential of the North."